A Graceful Serpent
by The Writing One
Summary: When Kairi, a fifteen-year-old girl, encounters a Milotic, she becomes the beautiful water-type's servant in retaliation to other trainers. Stripped of her memories, Kairi learns to be a loyal servant to the Milotic, just as the Milotic perceived Pokemon under trainers to be. Will Kairi prove Milotic wrong, or will Milotic stand firm to her own beliefs?
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: This story is a re-post from a different account. Will be updating the story from this account onward. Also please do not spam the review section with irrelevant comments unrelated to the story. They will be promptly reporter under spam. **

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The heat of the day did little to quell the uncomfortable feeling of being watched. Walking through the foliage of the tropical island, a young trainer of fifteen kept her gaze down at her feet. She watched as her sandals pressed against the pebbles of the stream, feeling the water bubble over her feet.

A sigh escaped her, brushing her hands through her short cut white hair. Finally giving herself a moment to look up, she saw trees rising above her. Vines tangled along the branches, emerald moss covered the base of the trees and rocks. Emerald light streamed through the rainforest, yet she felt a very peculiar sensation in her.

Heart sinking, she took a minute to look around. The stream flowed down from the steady incline she had been walking along. How long had she been following it now? She didn't quite realize how long it had been, nor did she fully remember how she came across it to begin with. One of her hands were placed on her hip, feeling the capsules brush up against her fingers.

Now that she had thought about it, an unusual thing that she didn't quite realize until now had been that Pokemon didn't seem to cross her path. A yawn escaped her, her other hand rising up to cover her mouth. How long had it been since she left Castelia? A week, a month? Time escaped her, especially with how lost she had been in her thoughts each day.

For now, she shook her head. What was the point in fretting when she came here for a purpose. Something that she had been tasked to do. Yet that too had started to escape her. Was there any purpose in this journey? In traveling to this island? One moment she had been in Castelia, and the next she was here, seemingly with a long gap in between. Even walking amongst the shallows, camping on dry spots, and then continuing on seemed to be such a blur.

Yet the reality had been that she was here. Deep in this large, sprawling island. Traversing the sheer elevations that rose and fell with no sense. Walking over fallen trees and sometimes bringing out her Pokemon when she felt threatened.

But here she was, standing by the stream, feeling the water bubble over the sandals and in between her feet. Her chocolate-brown eyes gazed down at the stream, seeing how wide it had been, flowing over the pebbles and getting deeper, the current picking up the more it went down the hill.

That had been when Kairi noticed something down below, just several dozen feet in front of her. The trees had parted, foliage partially covered the stone wall that stood before her. It must have been a dome rock structure, as the entrance to a cave had been large and gaping, carved out from many years of erosion.

"Huh, that's new." Surely the cave had always been there, yet it was the first time that Kairi caught sight of it. Did she miss it before? Looking over her shoulder, she wondered if she had been going in circles this whole time. It could be possible, particularly with how clouded her mind had been.

She kept her hands close to the Pokeballs upon her belt, walking down the hill with a carefulness that she reserved for special situations. Stopping by the cave, she pressed her side against the wall beside the entrance, leaning over to take a look in.

The encroaching darkness that she had expected was instead met with light streaming in from cracks in the ceiling above. She saw how the stream wound along the bottom, continuing on with no intention of stopping. Faintly, she saw what appeared to be a water surface further down, where a beam of light shone down.

"An underground lake?" The caution that she had been having was thrown out the moment she saw how still everything looked. She wondered if anything lived in here, or whether it was a sort of resting spot for weary Pokemon. Did the lake lead anywhere else? These were the kind of questions floating through her mind.

Sliding into the cave, she felt that a quick peek wouldn't hurt. It would keep her mind off of whatever had been hanging over her. Maybe she could even sleep here for the night, finally get a good night's sleep instead of how her eyes wanted to shut and never open up again. Maybe it could finally get rid of this nauseous feeling she had constantly crawling back around her throat.

Taking in a deep breath, thinking that she would take a shot in the dark, she called out in a light tone.

"Hello? Anyone in here?"

The voice echoed along the walls of the cavern, and she let off a sigh. _What was she thinking?_ Of course no other person was going to be here. Not after what happened. A groan escaped her, and she leaned against the cavern's wall. This headache was only getting worse, she felt. Hand clutching her head, she wondered just how far into the island she was.

Several minutes passed, with the girl massaging her temples. Everything in the cave fell silent, save for the drip of water from the stalactites. What else was there to do? Find something here, go back… _Go back_.

Then, the drops stopped.

Pausing, she opened her eyes after feeling herself slide down the cave's walls, resting with her legs sprawled out in the water. Perhaps she will return back. Maybe she won't. A long, low exhale made her eyes widen.

Her breath had turned into a fine mist. Whirling up into the air and dissipating. Slower. And slower. And slower. The air grew more chilled, with ice covering the stalactites, the water's flow slowing, and even when she looked out, the plants outside of the cave had icicles forming on them.

She tried to move, and as she got back up onto her feet, her eyes quickly darted back to the lake. Her heart galloped in her chest, seeing the water break as a pair of eyes glimmered in the darkness. She would have swiftly ran, if it hadn't been for her legs giving out on her. Falling back down onto her knees, she saw a glimpse of what had arose from the light that caught its prismatic scales. Almost as soon as the panic welled up in her, it seemed to dissipate when the Pokemon had made their presence known.

When the creature approached her, their body levitating over the ground, her breath had been taken away. _Milotic?_ Of all the Pokemon that she had encountered over the past couple of days, most of which ran away, this one had literally shocked her in a way that she hadn't anticipated.

The Milotic stopped in front of the human girl, seeing her dark skin and eyes staring back at her. Her fins brushed up against the cave's walls, the length of the Pokemon much larger than an average one of her species. For a moment, silence fell between them, before the large water serpent spoke up with telepathy, causing the girl to hold her head as the headache got worse.

"Who are you, and _why_ are you here, human? Your kind is not welcomed here."

"My name's Kairi." Struggling to get back on her feet, Kairi gave off a groan, feeling the nausea come back in full. What could she say to this Milotic? She already gave off a bad vibe, on top of already stating that she wasn't welcome here. Should she release her Pokemon? Make a feint and then run for it. That sounded like a good idea at first, but the numbness in her legs from the cold might prove to be her undoing.

Then again, what was the point.

Sitting upright as best as she could, Kairi tried to put on a sort of fake smile, the likes of which she found herself doing many other times when she got in trouble. "I got lost. I found this place looking for a place to sleep tonight. If I'm not welcome here, then could you direct me to a spot that I can sleep at?"

_What an unusual reply_. The Milotic blinked those big, reddish-brown eyes of hers, staring back at Kairi with a sense of disbelief. _How does one get lost on this island? There's only one way in._ However, despite these thoughts, the Milotic felt as if she could just push Kairi out of the cave and let her be on her way. She didn't appear to pose a threat-

That had been when she saw something that made her heart flare up. A rage swelled up in her body, seeing Kairi's belt with two Pokeballs on her. Those dreaded capsules, the likes of which she had seen numerous times before. "Do you _really_ think I am unable to tell? I can see them around the strap you wear!" An angered look spread across the serpent's face in an instant, her fins pointing towards the belt that Kairi wore. "You intend to capture Pokemon! Steal them from their homes!"

"W-What?" Kairi looked dumbfounded by this. Her hand had steadily gone away from the Pokeballs, dipping into the cool stream water. _What was this one's problem?_ Her eyes shifted down to the ground, thinking of what to say. A part of her wanted to keep up the lie, to keep stating that she was simply lost and then go on her merry way.

Yet there had been something inside of her, screaming to just do it. In this minute of silence, it grew louder, telling Kairi to disregard everything else. The Milotic loomed over her, with an expression that had been akin to bloodlust, and Kairi simply had to think to herself.

_What was there to lose?_

"You know what, yeah. I'm looking for Pokemon. Catch 'em, train 'em. Maybe put them in-"

Kairi's headache intensified into a migraine as the Milotic let off a shrill, high-pitched noise in her mind. Her hands were quick to clutch her head, feeling like she had been about to burst. Not even a second later, she found herself wrapped up in the prismatic scales, being constricted tightly as her body felt pressure rise from the squeeze. Her feet dangled, and her eyes were forced to look at the Milotic head on, who leaned in towards her.

"How dare you act so arrogant towards me. You have no idea what I am capable of… Do you want to die?"

Tears streamed down Kairi's face, but not because she had been terrified. Her head hurt so much, almost rendering her unable to speak. Her chest ached, trying to get a breath in. "C-Can't…" she started, before taking in a breath of fresh air as the coils loosened up on her.

Sometimes the Milotic hated despising the thought of crushing things in her grip. If she had just killed Kairi right then and there, it would be a mess to clean up. Shutting her eyes, she thought. _What to do?_ If she let Kairi go, she could attract the attention of other humans. Humans that would capture Pokemon and train them to fight each other. Humans that would harm the island in their battles.

How about freezing Kairi as a warning? It could be an effective deterrence. Place her near the entrance of the island, scare off trainers that see her.

_No, that's too much._

Then, an idea struck her. Yes, that could work. It's a clever idea, she felt. A small sort of chuckle escaped her, thinking about what the idea consisted of. There would be one flaw with it, though. One major flaw that could make things complicated. Yet it was better than trusting the human to not come back.

"S-So, what's gonna happen now?"

The Milotic opened her eyes, gazing at Kairi with an icy glare. She had the impulse to slap Kairi for that statement, as it came off as snarky to her ears. Whereas most of her species had been pacifying and gentle, she was never one of them. As it was, she had a zero tolerance for trainers or Pokemon that were under their trainers' command.

"If you feel the need to steal Pokemon from this place _and_ take their freedom, then **your** freedom shall be forfeit!"

Her eyes glowed, an ability that she had learned long ago beginning to already work its effects on Kairi. The Milotic saw how Kairi had her eyes widen, and in an instant seemed to glaze over as her hypnosis started to wind around Kairi's mind. How unusual, she thought. Normally humans would last longer in resistance, yet that didn't deter the Milotic from speaking further.

"I will make you a slave! Just like those who you have stolen from nature, and you will never harm any of us again!"

Kairi felt an intense pain in her head at that moment. Her body started to writhe, trying to escape the pain, the coils tightening around her as she flailed her legs. It almost felt like a knife had been steadily carving her into her head, the hypnosis rendering her unable to think. She tensed up, shaking her head before it had been kept still from the Milotic's fins pushing it towards her.

Blood-curdling screams escaped Kairi, the likes of which the Milotic even felt remorse. Humans were always so weak when it came to their minds. The heartstrings in her icy heart were plucked as she tuned her out, sensing Kairi's mind steadily growing more empty. For years, she had been honing her ability, hypnosis, to do more than put Pokemon to sleep. Now, it had been the ultimate test: to lock away those troublesome memories of Kairi's.

Minutes passed, and Kairi had been knocked unconscious from the trauma. The Milotic let her slide out of the coils, falling onto the ground, her limp body sprawled out. The chilled air that the Milotic had produced steadily went away, the drops of water starting to come back. The stream started to flow without interruption again, and the icicles outside quickly melted in the tropical sun.

Feeling guilty over letting Kairi just fall onto the ground, the Milotic gently scooped Kairi up, laying her on her scales. She laid her body out so Kairi didn't have any danger of rolling off, instead resting on a bed of damp coils. Now, she waited; thinking all the while.

What was she to do with a human? This island had seen humans time and time again come here to capture them, and she, the Graceful One, had been known to despise humans. What would she do if they found out about this? Nonsense, no one would dare to speak up to her of all Pokemon. Perhaps she should teach Kairi how much pain Pokemon feel in their capsules.

Shuddering, the thought quickly went away. There would be no excuse for torture. Even if she hated humans with every ounce of her being, she knew that would be inexcusable. She would never be caught doing that in her lifetime.

After several hours, mulling over her thoughts, staring at Kairi as she laid on her scales, she finally had a course of action come to fruition. She would enslave this human, but treat her with compassion while stripping her of any freedoms. This would mean that she would have to teach the human what she wanted her to know, perhaps she could tell Kairi about what happened. As long as Kairi felt that she had been safe with her, that's all that mattered… right?

Finally, as the afternoon steadily crawled on, the Milotic felt that enough time had passed that Kairi's mind had probably settled with that emptiness. She spoke to Kairi, her voice loud enough to cause her to wake up.

"Human… Open your eyes."

Her eyes twitched, and Kairi slowly opened them, her vision blurred. The first thing she had seen was the cavern's ceiling, with the light streaming down through the crack. Taking in a deep breath, the second thing Kairi noticed had been her head hurting. Her eyes had nearly closed, wanting to go back to sleep, to return to that state of mind.

Kairi's head swiveled over, and in her blurred vision she noticed what it was that she had been laying on. A gasp escaped her, and quickly she shot up. Heart galloping in her chest, she gazed up towards the Milotic's head, seeing the creature staring back at her with a calmed expression. Immediately, Kairi shifted, falling off the scales and into the stream. The water shocked her, and she laid on the ground for a moment as her eyes gazed up at the ceiling.

An expected reaction out of the human. The Milotic let off a passive aura to calm Kairi. "You're finally awake."

Blinking, rubbing her head, Kairi got back up on her feet after a moment of struggling. "Awake?" She rubbed her eyes, feeling overwhelmed by everything. The cave, this _thing_ standing in front of her. Her eyes looked around, seeing everything around her. The length of the Milotic seemed to fill up the cavern in front of her, and she took in deep breaths.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Kairi immediately asked, thinking about backing up, but standing her ground so she can hear what this creature says to her. "You're not trying to kill me, are you?"

A gentle smile formed on the Milotic's face, and she shifted her body so everything flowed behind her. Seeing Kairi awake, without any form of memories to call her own, had been a very different experience. She shouldn't have any sort of reason to doubt her, an opportunity to put her plans into motion.

"You need not be afraid, human. I am not trying to kill you. Quite the opposite actually." She offered her fin to Kairi, thinking constantly to herself. "I am your mistress, and you are my loyal servant, human."

A baffled look crossed Kairi. She heard these words, noticed how they had an interesting ring to them. _Mistress and servant_. Her mind had been clear, and this was the first concept that she had heard of.

"So you're my mistress? And I am your servant?"


	2. Chapter I

"So you're my mistress? And I am your servant?"

The Milotic tilted her head down to acknowledge what Kairi had said. She felt at ease, knowing that the human seemed to truly not know any better. "That is correct. I found you floating on the lake back there, unconscious. If I hadn't found you when I did, then I am certain that another Pokemon would have killed you." She moved her body to allow Kairi to look at the underground lake further from the cavern entrance.

Blinking, the gears slowly turning in her head, Kairi shut her eyes. "Oh, really? I wonder what I would have been doing down there. Maybe I was looking for something?" Placing her hands on her hips, Kairi took in a deep breath. Was that it? It seemed like a strange thought for her to look for something. Kairi could barely fathom why she was here to begin with.

Taking her hand, she moved it from her hip to motion to her _mistress_. What a peculiar thought. Serving this creature didn't bring any sort of emotion to mind, as staring at her up and down seemed to do nothing to jog her memory. Kairi had nothing.

She had _nothing_. The thought struck her like lightning, piercing her entire body. Her eyes widened, and she was quick to pat her shorts, then her tube top, then her green mini jacket she wore.

Nothing that she had on her struck a bell. Kairi began to tremble. _Where was she?_ Her eyes gazed at the Milotic for a moment, watching the water serpent's expression change to concern. Even when her hands brushed up against the red and white capsules on her belt, nothing came to mind.

"W-What am I wearing?" Kairi inquired, her voice wavering as she stared at the Milotic, trying to search her for an answer.

Realizing that Kairi had began to realize that she remembered nothing, the Milotic moved, calm and steady. Her motions calculated, her fins moved forward to brush up against Kairi's collarbone. She tipped the human's chin up, staring straight at Kairi. Even now, she sensed terror behind those scared, child-like eyes of Kairi's. Nothing but fear. Fear of the unknown. Of what might have happened to her.

"You need not worry, human. I found you wearing these when you were floating on the surface back there. You must have found them during the task I assigned to you." Patting Kairi's cheek with the fin, she did her best to comfort Kairi. "You really don't remember anything? I sent you around to look for other humans, as I had a suspicion that some made their way here."

Shaking her head, Kairi could tell that the Milotic appeared calm and placid as she said this to her. Wiping away a couple tears that had formed from fright, Kairi sniffled and tried to calm herself down. "N-No, I really don't remember anything. If you told me this or told me to do something, I don't recall."

"How about your name? I just want to make sure that you didn't hit your head too hard when you fell into the water."

Kairi was silent for several seconds. Her eyes wandered downwards, thinking to herself on if she had known it.

"My name is Kairi. I do remember that much. But anything else? No, nothing is coming to mind." She took her hand and placed it on the capsules along her belt, blinking as she felt the cool, metal capsule along her fingers. Receding it back, Kairi looked down quickly as she saw them. "What are-"

The Milotic intervened. Her voice blunt, she made sure that Kairi wouldn't even have the smallest chance of accidentally unleashing the Pokemon in there. "Those are useless items that you were wearing before. Here, let me take a look at it."

Using her fins to brush against Kairi's side, the Milotic had been quick to remove the belt from the trainer. Kairi helped by unwinding the belt from the belt loops on her other side. When the Milotic held up the belt in front of her, relief swelled up in her all around. It had been a crisis averted, where Kairi may have very well unleashed the Pokemon in here to her aid. A sigh of relief escaped her, and she looked over at Kairi, who stared at them with a blank expression.

"Do you recognize these at all?" Milotic asked Kairi curiously, seeing the human girl shake her head. It was redundant, but necessary to ensure that Kairi had been a blank slate. Placing the belt to the side on a dry part of the cavern, there had been another thing that crossed the Milotic's mind as she stared towards Kairi. As she brushed her hands through her hair, still distraught from the lack of memories, all the Milotic could think of had been the chance that she had something in her clothes. Something that could trigger her memories to come back.

Another risk she didn't want to take.

Coming closer to Kairi, exuding an aura to calm the human of her anxiety, Milotic had a straightforward solution to this problem. She had her head rub up against Kairi's face, trying to calm Kairi down by showing that she was trusting enough to do this. Even if she felt uncomfortable with the idea of touching a human to begin with. Perhaps she would get used to it eventually.

"It will all come back to you, in due time. I will help you to understand everything you have forgotten, Kairi." She used her fins to prod Kairi's bare side, causing the human to jump a bit in response. "Why don't you take off those strange things? You are safe here."

At first, Kairi was hesitant. True, she didn't ever remember grabbing these, it also struck her as an unusual request. While she was certain that the Milotic was trustworthy, she couldn't just outright give herself up. She had no idea where these clothes came from, but she had to make sure.

"Am I safe? How can I be sure that you'll protect me? I don't remember anything from before I just woke up, so…" Kairi crossed her arms and took in a deep breath. "Besides, I don't even know_ what_ you are. I don't want to be rude, but this is a lot to take in all at once."

That had been a fair point. Milotic felt as if she had rushed into her request. In her haste to have Kairi protected from possibly having her memory jogged, she must have came off as rude. "Ah, I apologize. I forgot that you didn't remember who I am." She put herself into a bow, her scales shimmering with the light. "I am a Milotic, a Pokemon. I am the protector of this island; and my title is the _Graceful One_."

"Graceful One…" That name struck a chord with Kairi. She didn't remember it, but it sounded noble. Another word that struck her had been _protector_. With that in mind, any doubt of being unsafe with her had melted away. If she had been the protector, then surely no one would dare cross their path. "What do you protect?"

"I protect the other Pokemon on the island." Milotic used her fins to brush up against Kairi's arm, letting her know that she can trust her. "I'll teach you about them in due time. I assure you that you don't have to worry about being in danger when I'm around."

Given the push that she needed, Kairi nodded to her mistress. She felt herself become more at ease with this explanation. _I am her servant._ She slipped off her mini jacket, and walked over to where the belt laid. Setting it down, Kairi could feel the cool air touch her shoulders. "So, do I call you mistress then? Or do you want me to use your title?" she asked as her hands were quick to lift up the tube top over her head.

"Please, call me mistress." Milotic observed Kairi as she undressed, mildly curious about the human body. She kept her distance, watching as the girl discarded her shorts and sandals.

"Right. I'm sorry if I'm asking a hundred questions, it's just… I want to know everything from before" Kairi didn't seem to notice that she had discarded her undergarments as well, her nude form showing. "You know, this feels a lot less stuffy."

At that instant, the Milotic couldn't help but feel flustered as she saw Kairi turn around, without a scrap of clothing on her. While it secured the fact that Kairi wouldn't remember anything from her clothes, she had done it so… easily! Although it unnerved the Milotic, she kept her face blank with expression. As much as she wanted to hide from this, it would be inappropriate to do so, along with potentially making Kairi question whether they _had_ been together for so long.

"Mistress?"

Realizing she had been staring for too long, Milotic moved forward, wrapping her tail around Kairi's bare waist. Even if it did bother her, seeing this nude human before her, she knew that there was no going back. Not after what she did. A gentle smile crossed her, and she spoke to Kairi calmly.

"Do not mind me. I was just thinking back to the first time we met."

"Really? What was it like?" 

Letting off a soft chuckle, she had to think on the fly. _Yes, what was it like?_ Milotic took her fins and scratched Kairi's back lightly, surprising the girl but pushing her closer all the while. "Well it was kind of like this. I just found you on the beach, the waves crashing and drowning out any sound. You were there, a little girl who washed up onto the shore. Naked, not knowing left from right, you were stunned from the impact of the coral reef nearby. I don't know where you came from, or who you were at the time, but you stumbled towards me and asked for help.

"Normally I would reject humans' requests. They have done far more harm than good to the residents of this island, which I will tell you more about in due time. But you stared at me with those warm, brown eyes of yours and I felt pity for you. So I stated that I would give you food and shelter, on one condition-" 

"To be your servant."

Milotic saw how Kairi's eyes welled up with tears at this. She kept the scratching along her back going, and, nodding, continued the story.

"Yes. You have been with me since, Kairi. It's a shame that you lost your memories about this, but they'll all come back to you."

It was then that, in a move that surprised the Milotic, Kairi lunged forward and embraced her in a tight hug. At first she had been taken aback, ready to set boundaries for Kairi to not touch her. For a moment, she had been terrified that Kairi had gotten her trainer instincts back, and that this was an attempt to kill her. Her fin had been raised, but then Kairi spoke.

"Thank you for taking me in back then. If what you say is true, t-then I really shouldn't doubt you, right? I may not be that old, but you clearly know more about me than I do."

Those words had been exactly what the Milotic wanted to hear. She felt Kairi's arms slip off from around her, and the girl stepped back. "Right. However-" She raised her tail between herself and Kairi. "Please refrain from touching me like that in the future unless I say so. I established that rule early on when I found you. If you do so again, I may have to slap you."

"Oh…" Kairi laughed nervously, who rubbed the back of her head. "I just felt like saying sorry to you about any doubt I had about you. I hope I didn't make you mad."

"You are fine." Milotic let her tail drop to the water, a thought crossing her mind. _How hard would it be to keep Kairi in check?_ She hadn't anticipated carefully treading around Kairi like this. To avoid making a scene; to make sure that Kairi believed her. Now was not the time to ponder upon this. She could do that when Kairi was asleep.

For now, she puffed her chest up. "I will help to teach you your first task. We need to collect food from a nearby batch of berry trees. I'll show you what each berry's purpose is when we get there." Swinging her body around, presenting herself to Kairi, Milotic put on a genuine smile. She at least enjoyed how well behaved Kairi appeared to be for a human. "Climb on, and don't fall."

Stunned at this, particularly after she had explicitly stated that she didn't like to be touched, Kairi had to take a moment to realize that her mistress had given her permission to climb on. Once she did, Kairi carefully walked forward, feeling the cool water bubble past her bare feet. Hand outstretched, brushing it against her mistress's body, Kairi noticed how damp and cool it was to the touch. Yet she also had been able to fully admire the scales that her mistress had. They shimmered, giving off a beautiful sheen.

Seating herself on her mistress, wrapping her hands around her body, Kairi could feel herself grow a bit warm. She was jealous of how beautiful the Milotic had been. There was a stark contrast to her own dark skin. "You're really beautiful, mistress!" Kairi piped up, speaking without a second thought.

A complement as well? This human was especially well behaved. Feeling flattered, the Milotic laughed softly and raised her head. She took a lot of pride in her own scales; a healthy body starts with healthy scales, after all. "You have a good judgment of scales, Kairi. I see you remember how to flatter me."

She noticed how flustered Kairi seemed after that compliment, perhaps trying to think of a way to further flatter her. It was humorous, to say the least. Milotic began to move once she was certain that Kairi had been firmly wrapped around her.

When they had moved out of the cavern, Milotic levitating several inches off of the ground, the sun was setting. It would be roughly two hours until the island was engulfed in the pitch dark of night.

To Kairi, this had been the first look she had at this island. In the evening sun, with the sky had started to turn crimson and blue, she could see the vibrant, lively canopies. The trees swayed in the gust of wind that picked up, creaking and leaning from the strength of it. Faintly, Kairi could also see something darting between the trees. The cool air that swirled around them had been much warmer than the cavern, but comfortable enough to where Kairi didn't complain. She felt her toes touch the stream before her mistress glided up a little more. As she looked up above, she noticed splotches of blue and red, mixed in with the viridescent foliage around them.

"What are those?" Kairi inquired, pointing up to them before quickly returning back to wrapping around the Milotic.

"Those are berries. I know not how large they grow outside of this island, but these ones are perfect for consumption. One or two berries can easily fill your stomach up with ease." Milotic, feeling that the berries here were close enough for their first lesson, moved through ferns as she approached one of the clearings nearby. Here, there were four trees, with gnarled roots that dug deep into the ground. Kairi could see how these trees had different berries to them, most of which appealed to her eye. When her mistress came to a halt, she sat upright, her body sliding down for a moment as she regained her balance.

Milotic saw a low hanging berry from a branch above, and slapped it down with her fins in the blink of an eye. She did this several more times, and soon six berries rested before Kairi. Three pairs; three for herself, and three for her servant.

Taking a blue and yellow one, shaped like a top, Milotic plopped it into her mouth. Milotic spoke to Kairi sternly, "Take the berry I just picked up."

Hopping off, her bare feet touching the ground, Kairi was quick to crouch down and grasp the same berry. Knowing that she couldn't eat it whole like her mistress, Kairi took a bite out of it. Her mouth seemed to dry up instantly, making Kairi cough and sputter. It was tough, with the her bite only having scraped off the top layer and exposing the center.

Once she regained her breath, Kairi looked over at her mistress. "W-What on earth is this? It's so… dry!"

Finding her reaction humorous, Milotic was quick to explain. "That is a Chesto Berry. As you have said, it is dry, but it is a good source of energy." Her tail nudged Kairi's hands to keep the fruit. "Finish it, and then we can move onto the next one."

Kairi's face contorted in disgust, she continued to eat the berry. While Milotic simply chewed and swallowed it, Kairi took significantly longer. When the berry was done, Kairi stuck out her tongue in response.

Quick to wash that flavor out of Kairi's mouth, Milotic took her tail and scooped up the next berry. It had been large, like an apple, but azure in color. She handed one to Kairi, and ate the other herself. "This is an Oran Berry. It's eaten by Pokemon when they're on the verge of passing out from overexertion. It's used for emergencies, but it also has a pleasant taste."

After the last berry, Kairi was hesitant to try the next one out. Staring at her mistress with a hint of doubt, Kairi took a bite into it. As she did, she noticed a swirl of flavors. Spicy, dry, but sweet and sour at the same time. None of them truly overpowered the other, and Kairi was quick to eat the rest of the berry.

As she observed Kairi eating, Milotic couldn't help but feel that she had to do something about the way she devoured the berry. It was nice to know that Kairi enjoyed it, but with juices staining the corner of her mouths, and the swift way she dug into it… She felt that it was necessary to teach Kairi how to eat properly.

Perhaps tomorrow.

Finally, they moved onto the last pair of berries, purple ones that, the Milotic thought, were bound to be Kairi's favorite.

"Now, we have this one, the Bluk berry. This one helps to boost immunities to disease."

Biting into it, Kairi found that it had been sweet, much sweeter than the Oran or Chesto berries. It didn't take long for Kairi to swallow it down, her expression content. Her stomach felt as if it had been filled to the brim, and any more than that would probably go wasted.

"I will teach you more about the other berries in due time, but I want you to collect three of each of these berries from the trees." Milotic saw Kairi look at her with disbelief, and she raised her fin to point towards the branches.

"Do you see how the trees branches are laid out? They are low enough to be grabbed onto, and surely you can pull yourself up. The berries are also in bloom right now, at least from these trees, so it is plentiful until other Pokemon start to snag them."

The task didn't sound too daunting to Kairi as she stood there at the base of the large, ancient tree. Three of each berry seemed to be a simple task that she was given. She looked up, and saw the berries in their respective trees. Kairi took in a deep breath. _She could do this_. With a leap, Kairi grasped the branch, feeling it in her hands.

The bark was rough to the touch. Kairi felt her fingernails dig into it for a split-second, realizing as well that this had been a mistake to try something so rash. Her legs swung underneath her, the momentum making her lose her grip. Her world spun so quickly around her as she fell into a freefall, everything slowing to a crawl as the shock sunk in.

With a heavy thud, Kairi felt the wind get knocked out of her. Sputtering, feeling the rough soil break her fall, her head felt like it spun in ten different directions. Her body hurt, and as she tried to lift her head Kairi could barely make out a root that she had narrowly missed.

Did she really miss the jump? How embarrassing.

"Well that was an experience…" she moaned out, trying to lift her head, but letting it fall back down.

Milotic tried her best to stifle a laugh. She knew that it was awful, but the image of Kairi falling onto the ground after such an _impressive_ attempt was too hilarious. Composing herself, she loomed over Kairi, staring down at her.

"Indeed it was. I didn't realize you forgot how to climb branches as well." She grinned at her servant, who opened her eyes in response to this comment. Scooping up Kairi and placing her back on her feet, Milotic patted Kairi's back, trying to reassure her.

With a groan, her back aching, Kairi looked up at the branch. _Perhaps she had underestimated this._ Scratching her head, she thought to herself about what she could do to help herself up. What else was there to try? For several minutes, Kairi felt as if she had encountered a wall, an insurmountable obstacle. Walking around the tree, trying to find a better spot, Kairi was silent, but constantly thinking.

What to do…

Before Kairi could attempt another go, she felt her mistress wrap her tail around her waist. It was a firm grip, and Kairi was lifted up to the branch that she had tried to reach just minutes before. Feeling herself on the branch, Kairi had to hug the tree to keep her balance as her mistress receded from her.

"Thank you! I'm sorry that I-"

"No apologies, please." Cutting her off, Milotic knew there wasn't much time before dark. Tomorrow morning you'll have time to learn how to climb this properly. But do hurry up, I'd rather not be seen out here after dark."

"Why's that?"

"No reason." Milotic raised her tail to point the fins towards the Chesto berries that hung low. "There are some berries in the branch above you. And these trees are close to each other, so you should be able to move between tree to tree. I'll help you back up if you fall, but remember, you must learn how to do this yourself eventually."

"Of course." Kairi looked up, where her mistress had pointed, seeing the same berries from earlier. Carefully, she skidded herself on the branch that she was standing upon, feeling the tough bark and the thick branch easily accept her light body. Even if she wasn't too far off of the ground, Kairi didn't feel like falling down again.

When she had reached the branch's middle, where the berries hung Kairi stood on the tips of her toes. Reaching out for the berries, she could only touch them by the tips of her fingers. Lacking any sort of real grip, Kairi felt that it would be easier if she was on the branch that they were on.

Shimmying back to the tree's base, Kairi saw the branch closer to her. She prepared herself, knowing that she probably could climb up onto the next branch if she tried hard enough. Springing up, Kairi managed to firmly grasp the branch with her hands, feeling herself dangle. Taking in a deep breath, she managed to pull herself up after a straight minute of struggling. When Kairi sat on the branch, she felt sweat running down her forehead.

"Mistress, did I _really_ do this a lot before? My arms feel like they're about to burst from that," Kairi could feel herself breathe heavily for a minute, heart racing in her chest. She shut her eyes to catch her breath.

"Yes, although truthfully it's been a while since you've had to do this. Last time, you gathered so many berries we could eat for two weeks without worry." Milotic observed Kairi as she shimmied over to where the berries hung. She saw how careful the human was in the branches, and it amused her that Kairi could still have her survival instincts intact after what happened.

Once the Chesto Berries had been plucked, dropped, and were ready to go, Milotic spoke to Kairi. "That's very good. Although I will have to teach you how to do this faster in the future, you're doing fine. Now gather the other berries." 

With a groan, Kairi laid on the branch, letting her arms and legs dangle. It took enough energy to get the three just now, and now she's expecting six more? It struck Kairi as somewhat tedious. Her arms were weak; she could barely pull herself up. Perhaps she could just lay here, take a nap or something of the sort.

When she felt something touch her head, Kairi blinked, looking up. In front of her, floating with a small blue glow surrounding it, had been a yellow berry with red splotches. "What is this. I'm full though," she stated out loud, grabbing the berry and looking at its minute features from up close.

"This is a Sitrus berry. If the Oran berry is used for emergencies, this is used to keep one's energy up. It'll rejuvenate you when you have exhausted yourself."

Kairi could barely express her displeasure at the thought of eating another berry. The others were already in her stomach, making her feel full. She considered tossing it aside, yet she _was_ exhausted. If it could bring a little amount of energy to her, perhaps it wouldn't be so bad.

Biting into the berry, it was firm like the Chesto. Yet it wasn't dry. Instead it appeared to be like the Oran berry in terms of flavor, without the spice that it had. Chewing it thoroughly, Kairi swallowed it down after a minute.

Within minutes, she already had been able to stand up again. Blinking, realizing that the berry did work, Kairi shimmied back along the branch. Were berries always this potent with their abilities? Her mistress did say that they grew bigger here than outside of the island, so did that mean they were also more powerful? It was hard to say, but Kairi didn't deny the results.

Just as her mistress had pointed out, Kairi used the interweaving branches to her advantage when she traversed from tree to tree. Even as sweat poured down her forehead, with her arms aching, she felt energy pump through her with ease. Doing the same as before, Kairi picked three Oran berries, and then went to the proceeding one, picking the Bluk Berries.

The berries laid out before Milotic, her tail twirled them around on the ground as she examined for bruises, waiting patiently for Kairi to come down. Fortunately, none of the berries had been bruised or had any sort of other abnormalities from what she could tell. Perfect for a morning breakfast.

"Alright, Kairi. Follow me back to the cave-"

"Mistress, I can't get down."

Blinking, hearing this coming from Kairi, Milotic turned to look at the human. She saw the nude human hugging the branch, noticing how she had been twenty feet above her. Kairi's eyes were wide, staring down at the ground as she seemed paralyzed with fear. With a sigh, she twisted and turned her body to move upwards towards her servant.

_What an inconvenience._

When she had met Kairi at eye level, half of her body on the ground below, Milotic narrowed her eyes towards the human. "What do you mean you can't get down? Can you not jump?"

Shaking her head, Kairi hugged the branch tighter. "No."

Looking down at the tree, Milotic could easily see several branches that Kairi could move along to get back down. Yet why had Kairi been stuck here? It was getting dark out, and she didn't want to have the human left out here during the night time. No good comes from being out too late.

"Come on, Kairi. Just get up and come down. There's a couple branches on the way down that can easily lead you to the ground safely."

"But what if I fall?"

A huff escaped Milotic at this point. Kairi can climb up, but she can't climb down? It seemed irrational, especially considering the girl could climb through the trees. Getting up and getting back down were the two points that Kairi had difficulties with. The two most important things about even _climbing_ the trees and she acted so scared.

"Kairi, it's getting dark out. Get down from there."

She had started to grow impatient when Kairi, once again, shook her head. Milotic almost wanted to slap Kairi to get her to move. Yet she kept her patience. With a sigh, she let off that calming aura once again. She saw how the human grew more relaxed, her shivering ceasing.

"Come on, follow me. It's not that bad."

Steadily, Kairi had gotten up, seeing her mistress flow over the branches. They creaked under her weight, but now, with her body hanging between two branches, Kairi could now see that the distance was short. It had been much easier now the she saw her mistress beside her.

Carefully, making sure that she could touch the branches first with her feet, Kairi made her way down the tree. Twenty feet turned into ten, then five, with Kairi nearly falling off if her mistress didn't help her regain her balance. When she had been assured that it was alright to jump, Kairi carefully jumped off the branch, resulting in a thud as she lost her footing.

Flowing off of the branches, Milotic's fins brushed up against Kairi's shoulders, trying to comfort her from the rough landing. Pressing up against Kairi's back, she helped her servant back up to her feet. "You did well, Kairi. But remember, there are many ways to get down from a tree. You can go back the way you came, but use your judgement to determine when and where you can jump."

Lowering her head, Kairi made a sigh. Did she upset her mistress with being scared to come down? She made her way towards the berries, picking them up in her arms. Although it wasn't entirely obvious if that had been the case, Kairi made sure to keep a proper balance so the berries wouldn't come toppling down.

"Don't worry, it'll take time to relearn what you have forgotten." Milotic seemed to make a smile at this, a facade to calm her servant. "I do not expect you to be perfect right away, remember that. With practice, you will become a better servant, and return to your former greatness." Draping a coil around Kairi's bare waist, allowing her servant to regain her composure, there had been another issue that struck the Milotic as problematic.

With Kairi being nude, how would she keep herself warm in the cave? Milotic had been aware that humans wore clothes to keep themselves warm in colder climates. Outside hadn't been an issue, and yet she hoped that Kairi would be able to get used to the change in the cavern.

An idea struck, and she told Kairi, "Wait here." Uncurling from her, she was quick to judge the surroundings to find something that she knew would aid Kairi. Catching sight of it, she levitated up to the high up berry, probably the first of the season, and snatched it before placing it in with the rest of the berries.

"What is this?" Kairi inquired quizzically, eyes lighting up at the sight of the the yellow berry, noticing the bright green patches on it. She was quick to hear her mistress chime in.

"I'll explain when we get back to the cave. For now, let's move along. Quickly now."

Her fins were quick to press Kairi along her back, motioning for the human to move along. They walked, or in the Milotic's case hovered, at a brisk pace. Kairi struggled to move along at the pace that her mistress dictated, having to catch some of the berries before they fell to the ground.

"Can't we go any slower?" she responded at one such moment, knowing they were several minutes away from the cave. "I mean, what's the rush?"

Perhaps Kairi was right. That she should go slower. Milotic looked over the surroundings, slowing up her pace. The pristine foliage was quiet, with only minor chatter from Kricketots and various other bug-types hovering over them. "Perhaps you're right. But Kairi, I want you to keep quiet until we get back to the cave, okay?"

"Why's that?"

"Are you questioning your mistress?"

"N-No."

Her eyes narrowed towards the human girl, seeing her straighten up and walk with her head lowered. Milotic knew that Kairi had many questions, complaints, and other minute quips that she may have running around that white-haired head of hers. But having her talk at this time of night could only bring attention to herself. Quite frankly, _she_ had a reputation to uphold.

They walked along for a while longer, with the Milotic using her tail to help guide Kairi closer to her side. What an unusual image it must have been. Never in her years did the Milotic think that she would be found side-by-side with a human girl. She wondered what _he_ would think of this. Before too much longer, she gently pushed Kairi into the cavern entrance, the evening starting to slip away, replaced by an inky darkness.

Following through the cave, Kairi kept close to her mistress, trying her best to balance the berries and keep her footing in the encroaching darkness. Her thoughts raced, wondering if she spoke too much, or perhaps there had been something listening to them out there? Her mistress didn't say anything after stating that she should keep quiet. So that had been what she did.

When they went down an opening in the side of the cave, something that Kairi didn't notice before, the gentle incline winded down. The corridor was large enough to accomodate Kairi and her mistress, yet she had to be careful to not bump into the Milotic. Her bare feet patted against the floor, and she had to consider that they were possibly twenty or thirty feet underground.

The chamber that the corridor opened up to had been spacious. The first thing that struck Kairi as awe-inspiring had been the cracks in the ceiling, which allowed the moonlight to peer through, illuminating the chamber with a pale glow. Her eyes widened, taken back by this. She saw her mistress hover past, and the cavern's chilly air seemed to strike Kairi in an instant.

"Kairi, over here."

Snapping back to focus, Kairi glanced over at the Milotic, who had entered a pool of water near the edge of the cave. Some of the water had poured over the edges at the initial entry, yet her body was able to snugly fit into the pool with little issue. Motioning with her fins to come closer, Kairi, starting to feel the brunt of the cold hit, walked forward. The damp air hung heavy around them as she stopped before the Milotic.

Her fins motioned towards a bowl-like structure on the floor beside her pool. "You can place the berries in there. Don't worry, I cleaned it out this morning."

Nodding, Kairi crouched down, dumped the berries into the structure, and noticed the berry that her mistress had given her earlier. She could feel her body starting to tremble. "I-It's cold in here."

"You'll get used to it in time. You used to love how cold it was in comparison to outside. But for now, eat that berry I handed over to you."

Grabbing it as quickly as she could, Kairi appeared confused as she noticed that its skin appeared different from the others. It was rough, and biting it would do no good. Yet it all seemed familiar to her in some way. Digging her fingernail into the flesh, she pulled away at the outside, exposing the juicy interior. Kairi noted how the peel had been hard, but soft enough to dig away at. Feeling her trepidations getting worse, she bit into the exposed fruit, chewing it thoroughly.

Her cheeks seemed to twist at how sour it had been. A part of her wanted to spit it out, but then her mistress spoke to her again.

"Kairi, this Aspear berry will help you to adjust to the cold. It also helps to keep you from getting sick."

Swallowing down the pulp, Kairi took a second to regain herself, before digging in again. As she did so, she could feel warmth flowing over her. The more she ate, the more that warmth rose up. By the time she ate the berry in its entirety, tossing the peel onto the floor, Kairi's body could barely registered that it had ever been chilled.

"Thank you." Kairi gave off a nod towards her mistress, feeling glad that she was willing to reteach her all that she had forgotten. She saw her mistress let off a long yawn, her fins receding back into the pool of water. Seeing that had made Kairi yawn in response, not realizing how tired she had been until then.

"Tired, are we?" Milotic tried to give her a warm smile, but came off as somewhat cold. "You can rest for now, you have earned your sleep." She hoped that it would be the end of tonight's first day, that Kairi would just go to sleep. Even though she knew some things about humans, their sleeping habits was not one of them. She shut her eyes, and gently lowered her head into the pool of water.

Clapping her hands together lightly, still in awe at how little she felt the cold, Kairi glanced at her mistress. Riding on her scales earlier had been an experience, with how soft they were and how comfortable her body felt. If they knew each other for as long as they had, then…

"Mistress?"

Milotic blinked, hearing Kairi again. Her head broke the surface, the bottom of it touching the tranquil surface. "Kairi, aren't you going to get some sleep?"

Her heart skipped a beat, hesitation striking Kairi. For a second, her mistress appeared mildly upset with Kairi's silence, ready to dismiss her. Taking in a breath, Kairi spoke quickly, "Do you mind if I sleep with you tonight, mistress?"

Milotic's eyes gazed at her servant for a moment. What could possess her servant to be so bold in asking? Instinctively, she retorted back with a flat, "No. I do not let anything use my scales as something to sleep on, _especially_ a servant who will only tainy my beauty with dirt."

Her heart stopped. Kairi had a strong feeling that she had overstepped. Did she never sleep on her mistress before? It was hard to believe that was the case, especially if they had met on that beach. Yet she didn't feel the need to speak up against it. If there was a boundary, then that was it. No questions about it.

"Sorry, it's just… Where do I sleep then?"

Hearing Kairi's tone waver, Milotic wondered if she had been too harsh just now. Yet it was her call as to where Kairi slept, not the other way around. She nodded towards the tunnel that they came in, speaking to her servant as she did so. "You must find your own way to rest in my cavern. You can return to the surface to find some bedding, but I strongly advise against wandering out too far alone when it's getting dark. So for now, you can sleep on the ground if you wish. It does not matter to me how you sleep."

Although the statement had come off harsher than she intended, Milotic felt exhausted from today's ordeal. Wiping Kairi's mind had taken a lot of energy out of her, and she was getting more irritable with each second that her servant was being hard to work with.

A shadow crossed along Kairi's heart. What had been with the sudden change in the way her mistress spoke? Her heart sank into the pits of her stomach, and Kairi found herself unable to say anything else. Even when she tried, she opened her mouth, but the fear of being shot down rendered her incapable of a single word. Silently, she looked around the cave, seeing flat surfaces where she could lay down on. None of them looked particularly appealing.

Sighing, Kairi walked over to one of those flat surfaces. She noted how smoothed out everything had been down here compared to up above. Seating herself on such a spot, Kairi felt trepidation run through her. Although the cold was being held off, she stared at her mistress, who had curled onto herself, her head submerged in the pool. Perhaps her mistress had a point.

Tucking her feet up to her chest, Kairi laid down. Wanting to keep herself from having wandering thoughts, she faced away from the Milotic, staring at the darkness of that corner. As she gazed, she could feel herself shiver, a peculiar thought coming across her.

_What if something was hiding there?_

Kairi lightly shook her head, easing herself up more. That thought was nonsense, she figured. If something had been hiding in the darkness, then her mistress would know… right?

Finally, silence had fallen on the cavern. Milotic had been on the verge of sleep, ready to ease up and unwind after a stressful day. Yet as she did so, a rogue thought crept up in her. It clawed at her, telling her that something was amiss. She lifted her head as Kairi's anxiety was felt.

Seeing the human girl, nude, facing away from her, has been a pitiful sight. She noticed how Kairi shifted, toes curled up underneath her, as she struggled to get some sleep. Perhaps she had been _too_ harsh to her servant. Noting how Kairi's mind appeared restless, Milotic dipped her head into the water. Sucking up some of it, then releasing her ability _scald_ into the water, she warmed it up enough to where it would be lukewarm by morning but warm for tonight.

After she made sure that the water felt comfortable, Milotic spoke to Kairi calmly. "Kairi, are you still awake?"

Shifting on that lonesome spot, Kairi turned and faced her mistress. Getting in a seated position, she made a yawn as she responded. "Yeah, but I'm okay." Patting her cheeks, light slaps sounding off from it, Kairi tried to put on a smile to show her mistress otherwise. "See! I'm alright."

Unphased from Kairi's response, Milotic shut her eyes and used her fins to motion to her servant. "Come over here."

Surprised, Kairi pushed herself back up onto her feet. Feet patting against the floor, in mere moments she stood in front of her mistress. "Yes?" Kairi inquired, tilting her head as she did so.

Looking her servant up and down, evaluating her, Milotic's cheeks welled up with water before letting loose. Spraying Kairi from head to toe, she used her tail to turn Kairi abruptly to make sure that every inch had been thoroughly rinsed. After a minute, she ceased the spray and examined Kairi for any grime.

"There. At the very least, I won't let you sleep with dirt and sweat on you."

"W-What do you mean?"

Positioning her coils so some of them were above the water, Milotic cooed at Kairi. "You may sleep on my scales." She saw the girl's eyes light up, but she was quick to correct herself. "However, just for tonight. Tomorrow you must find your own bedding if you wish to sleep comfortably.

"Do you understand?"

Nodding back, shivering from the sudden cold shower, Kairi made a meek, "Y-Yes."

With a more comfortable tone, Milotic reclined her head against the edge of her pool. "Then you may enter, and rest on my scales."

Trying to keep her excitement down to a minimum, Kairi lowered her head, taking in a deep breath as she took those words to heart. "T-Thank you, Mistress." Immediately hopping into the pool, her body warmed up, Kairi had to keep herself upright as she nearly slipped and fell. Twirling around, Kairi sat on the scales, blushing as she did so.

"Will you sleep better now?" Milotic inquired to Kairi, facing her as she turned her neck to observe her servant. As soon as she responded with a nod, Milotic let off a yawn. "Good. Sleep will do you well."

Seeing Kairi recline on her scales, resting on her stomach, Milotic noted how her arms and legs were steeped in the water. Casually lifting Kairi up, shifting her coils so she wouldn't be submerged, Milotic could already tell how much more relaxed she had become.

What a peculiar thought. Kairi had come in that day with an arrogance and somewhat irritated mindset. Yet when she had awoken, it seemed that everything melted away, instead replaced with a genuine curiosity and eagerness to learn. Had there been something on Kairi's mind beforehand?

The thought struck the Milotic as even more strange. After all, Kairi did everything that she had been told to do. Even now, as she slipped into that peaceful state, Milotic noted how much Kairi already felt bonded with her. If she hadn't known any better, Kairi _could_ have been with her for as long as she stated. Was this what Pokémon and trainers felt? She doubted that notion and pushed it back.

Despite these thoughts circling around her, one thing was certain.

Kairi couldn't go back. She had to stay, if only to keep the island safe from those vile trainers. Milotic had hoped that Kairi could sleep on the floor, so she could deal with the capsules in due time, yet she had been stuck here. Perhaps she would deal with it in the morning. Yes, that could be it.

More duties for Kairi. Taking care of her belt. Teaching Kairi what she had forgotten. Telling her more about how they met and what they did. Thoughts rushing through her mind.

Fatigue took her. She joined Kairi shortly after her servant fell asleep.


	3. Chapter II

The white sands of the beach blinded Kairi as she stood, feeling the grains press up between her toes. She saw how the ocean, with its salty sea air, laid before her in an everlasting stretch. The morning sun, with its brilliant crimson, loomed over the horizon, with streaks of orange, purple, and red cascading over the sky.

Yet her heart was crushed. Heavy, burdened with _something_. Crying, hot tears welling over her cheeks, Kairi fell to her knees. She clutched her shirt, letting off a wail as she did so. Yet despite these motions, which had no place in her mind she felt, Kairi couldn't fathom why all of this was happening.

Screams erupted from her, but they were silent. All she could hear were the waves crashing over the beach, drowning out everything. Her throat as dry as the sand, unable to see from the hot tears flooding her eyes, Kairi knew that something was wrong.

As she sat there, wailing in silence, throwing her head back, there had suddenly been something nudging her. Something wrapping around her. Kairi felt herself sink into the sand, into that darkness that she feared most of all.

"Kairi?"

Thrown back into reality, Kairi bolted upright, feeling fear rush through her in an instant. Her feet splashed into the water below, and the tail flowed off of her. Eyes wide, she took a moment to look around, pat herself down, and let off a heavy sigh.

"You seem upset. Is something wrong?" Her fins poked Kairi's forehead, tipping her back as she flailed, regaining her balance.

Kairi quickly noticed that her mistress hadn't even fully emerged from the waters, leering at her from submerged eyes. Her heart finally ceased to gallop from the sudden fright, Kairi's face returned to a more tranquil state. "No. Nothing was wrong, just a bad dream."

Hearing a laugh from her mistress, Kairi crossed her arms, puffing out her cheeks. "What's so funny?"

"Here I was thinking you were having a panic attack! Instead it's merely a bad dream. I'm relieved, that's all." Lifting her head up from the pool, facing her servant, Milotic's eyes were half-open. Drawing a coil over Kairi's lap, then looping it over to around her shoulders, she observed the human's expression. "Either way, do you feel well rested?"

Unwinding, raising her arms to her sides for a stretch, letting off a yawn, Kairi tucked a hand underneath the coil to rub her eyes. "Yeah, I do."

"Good. It is time to serve me, then."

"So soon? I just woke up-"

"You used to be _enthusiastic_ for this." Milotic unwound from Kairi, starting to slide out of the pool with ease. She saw how Kairi quickly hopped off, trying not to fall again as the water drew up to her waist. "I understand that your memories are missing, but do you not remember any of this?"

Swinging herself out of the pool, Kairi shook her legs, getting all of those drops of water off of her. Even now, as she stood there, looking at her mistress's resplendent body, nothing came to mind. Shaking her head, Kairi appeared baffled. "No! How am I supposed to remember-"

Kairi saw her mistress's fins raise up, brushing those hair-like fins of hers. Slapping her tail fins back down onto the ground, Milotic glared towards her servant. "Excuse me, but it sounded like you were about to talk back. I gave you a night on my scales, surely you expected nothing less, _correct_?"

Shivering, Kairi's teeth chattered. She did her best to keep still, to make sure that she didn't _appear_ to be unnerved by this. Yet Kairi felt herself wavering. Her mistress was right. She had given her everything; a place to stay, somewhere to sleep. Tapping her fingers together, Kairi lowered her head.

"I-I'm sorry. It's just…" She looked up at her mistress, a meek smile spreading across her face. "No, you're right. I'm sure of it!"

"Right…" Milotic raised her tail towards the berries that Kairi had deposited the night before. "To help jog your memory, your first task is to fetch those berries and bring them here. Maybe having some food to fill your stomach will help improve your mood."

Trembling, Kairi nodded, trying to shake off the feeling that she had upset her mistress. She briskly walked over to the bowl-like structure filled with berries, and scooped them up into her arms. Shifting her feet on the damp floor of the cavern, Kairi turned and approached her mistress. She felt the little bit of warmth from the morning light cover her shoulders, the light from above shimmering and illuminating the cave with little effort. Seating back down unceremoniously, Kairi placed the berries out before them and sat down.

Waiting for her mistress to move first, Kairi crossed her legs, hunching her shoulders as she looked over the berries. _Oran. Bluk. Chesto._ She remembered their names after their lesson yesterday. Yet when her mistress didn't make the first move, Kairi rubbed her thigh. "A-Aren't you going to have any?"

Seeing the nude human before her, the Graceful One observed how Kairi walked, how she plopped herself down, and even at this moment, how her composure had exuded anxiety. The way the light touched her dark skin was curious as well, catching her attention in a way that she never considered before. The soft, white hair had a healthy shine to it, even if it was dampened by the cavern air.

Hearing her servant ask, Milotic perked up and shook her head. "In a moment. You eat first." She was more intrigued by Kairi's form. Having never had a human this close before, she was able to look her over. Even as Kairi took the first bite from the berry, the juices splashing against the corners of her lips, she couldn't help but begin to ponder.

Saving her appetite for now, she wanted to get a good understanding of Kairi's body. Her tail shifted closer to her servant. Milotic moved her fins up, starting to poke and prod Kairi. _Soft skin. Hair is a bit thick. Overall a healthy weight._

"Lift up your arm," she curtly stated to Kairi, who had been blushing. This didn't go unnoticed; even as Kairi lifted up her arm, holding the half-eaten berry in her hand, Milotic didn't say another word as her fins observed Kairi's features. _Some curves. Cute brown eyes. Slender legs._

"M-Mistress, what are you d-doing?"

Taking her coils and wrapping it around Kairi's waist, she pulled her servant closer. Milotic sensed her servant's embarrassment, coupled off with seeing her trying to avoid her gaze. A solid minute passed as the Milotic looked Kairi up and down. From what she could tell, Kairi looked very curious, but also cute for her species. She had potential. Kairi did as she was told, and with her memories gone it would be easy to mold the girl into something beautiful (at least by her own standards). She observed Kairi taking a Bluk berry, and ate it as her face steadily grew more red.

Uncoiling from Kairi, she took several berries from the floor, plopping them in her mouth. A smile finally crossing her, she was pleased with what she saw. Thoroughly chewing the berries, this was enough to have her fill and let Kairi have the rest. Taking her fins and scratching Kairi's back, Milotic tried to soothe her servant.

"I have decided, Kairi, that if I am going to teach you everything you forgot, then you should also become as beautiful as I am." Milotic mused, hearing sputtering as Kairi nearly choked on the Bluk berry. Seeing her servant unable to properly convey as she caught her breath, Milotic patiently waited for Kairi to respond.

Once she had caught her breath, Kairi found herself wiping her mouth with her arm. Looking up at her mistress, she was taken aback by what she had heard. _Being as beautiful as her_. The very thought was a concept that seemed absurd. When she made sure that she wasn't imagining it, Kairi rubbed the back of her head. "I'm sorry, but what do you mean?"

"I'm going to help you become beautiful, both in appearance _and_ demeanor." Milotic tilted her head, and had another thought strike her. She continued scratching Kairi's back. What was there to say to her? Something that could coax Kairi into-

"You can really do that?"

Perhaps she didn't need to after all. Noticing Kairi's demeanor change from surprise to having far more interest, Milotic gently draped her tail over the girl's shoulders, still scratching her back. With a nod and a chuckle, Milotic felt a sense of relief come off of her. "As beautiful as a _human_ can be. My beauty is unmatchable.

"Now eat up. Finish the berries and we can begin your transformation."

Hearing this, Kairi was eager to devour the rest of the berries. Within a minute, as her mistress unwound from her and slithered across the cave, Kairi swallowed down the last of the berries she picked. The resplendent scales, with prismatic colors that reflected off of the Milotic's body, only furthered the point that she had made as Kairi stood up, eagerly walking towards her.

"Tsk." Milotic saw the berry juice staining Kairi's lips, and without a moment's notice she took her coil, wrapped it around Kairi's waist, and sprayed some cold water onto her servant's face. Catching Kairi off guard, Milotic simply retorted with a blunt, "Never walk around looking like _that_. I'll have to teach you proper eating manners after we're done with our task. Now rub out the mess on your mouth."

Stung, Kairi took her hand and wiped her mouth clear of whatever remained. She felt the cold water drip from every corner of her face, a shiver running down her. After a moment of rubbing every corner of her face, Kairi looked back up at her mistress. "Is it gone?"

"Yes." Uncoiling from Kairi, Milotic gave her a far more gentle gaze. "Follow me and stay close." She slithered up the incline, where the darkness of the cave encircled them. Even in the morning sun, this path was dark as night. Milotic knew it well, with its twist up and the incline, but she kept her tail close to Kairi as they moved. Having to help Kairi back up to her feet once after feeling her stumble, they emerged into the main entrance.

Shielding her eyes, Kairi felt the warm air billowing in from the entrance. Her mistress coiled up in front of her, a silhouette from the light striking her, as Kairi regained her senses. Once she adjusted herself to the morning light, the stream bubbling past, Kairi stretched her arms up, and looked around. It had been a peculiar thought; to think that she had been here yesterday. Even as her eyes began to gaze over at her discarded clothes, while the capsules laid motionless on her belt, Kairi couldn't help but wonder whose it was. Her mistress had said that she had found them, and yet-

"Are you ready?"

Quickly turning, Kairi nodded, having to catch herself from her thoughts. "Y-Yes!"

In a minute, Kairi and her mistress emerged from the cave, the tropical sun beaming down on the both of them. Standing there, taken aback by her surroundings, Kairi had her breath taken away. The emerald hues cascading upon the stream, with the rays of light reflecting off of the clear water that rushed past her feet. How could she have forgotten this sight? The pebbles of the stream even shifted underneath her feet, and Kairi couldn't help but remain paralyzed with awe.

"Kairi, what are you doing?"

Snapping back to reality, Kairi stared at her mistress, whose eyes narrowed towards her. Stepping out of the water and onto the soft, tropical soil, she rubbed the back of her head. "S-Sorry, it's just… I didn't realize that this place was so beautiful in the morning. I guess I was just surprised to think that I don't remember this."

Easing up, her mistress shut her eyes and nodded. "Yes, it is a beautiful spot, is it not? I remember the first time you were in awe of this island. You reacted similarly to that first morning." She shifted her body past Kairi, and started to move, hovering over the ground. "Now come along, I have a task for you to do."

Wondering what she had in mind, Kairi saw her moving quickly. Trying to keep up, Kairi lightly jogged in her direction, and once she caught up slowed her pace. Walking by her mistress, without a scrap of clothing somehow felt natural. She was at ease by her mistress, with her mind racing with the possibilities as they walked along.

Stepping over roots, through the foliage, and occasionally the foreign rock, Kairi moved at a steady pace. After tripping over a gnarled root, and leaping back up, she looked towards her mistress, whose eyes remained locked forward. She had a couple questions to ask her, mostly about her past. Yet the first thing that came out of Kairi's mouth, after picking up her pace to be beside the Milotic, had been a simple "Where are we headed?"

Hearing Kairi, Milotic slowed her pace and glanced over at her. "We are headed to a different berry batch. In order to help you transform into something more _worthy_ of being my servant, we need berries."

"But don't we have berries already?"

Kairi looked up to her left, seeing a steep hill overlooking them. It had been full of lush greenery, with several trees peppered on the side. She wondered just how large this island was. How much did she travel before she lost her memories?

"Yes, but the berries we seek are for beautification purposes. They hold different properties that are good for the skin, on top of being good for consumption."

Swiveling her head back, Kairi saw her mistress slow her pace more, and then turn to the right. Quickly following her side, she had been surprised that they had been traveling for as long as they had. There had been another question burning in her mind, but she kept herself quiet.

"We're here."

The jungle didn't have a clearing as Kairi had expected. Instead she had been greeted with the sight of a smaller tree, which only looked as tall as her mistress was at that moment. She saw several berries that resembled yellow tops with orange underbellies hanging from the tree. Tilting her head, Kairi approached the tree with curiosity.

"These are Figy berries. They're spicy, and you don't need many, but they're good for circulation when applied to your skin."

Milotic glided around the ground, circling the tree and Kairi. "This tree is small enough to where you can shake it." Using her tail to whack the tree, she demonstrated two berries falling onto the ground. "Instead of climbing everything, use this to your advantage."

Seeing her mistress inform her of this, Kairi stepped towards the tree. She saw how the bark was lighter in color compared to the older, taller trees from yesterday. Even as she pushed her hands against the bark, shaking it lightly, Kairi bent it with ease. It lurched to one side, some of the berries falling to the ground with light thuds. The moment that Kairi let the pressure off, the tree swung back into place, undaunted by her presence. Her mistress moved her coils to push the berries into a pile.

"You did well, but this is only one berry we need for the mixture."

Taking in a deep breath, feeling the enthusiasm swell up in her again, Kairi stretched her legs in anticipation. "How many others do we need?"

"For now, just two more." Milotic motioned towards one tree to the left. "That tree has the Belue berry. That one is a good base, and you only need one."

"Base?"

"I'll explain once we're back home." Milotic rose her head and observed the tree more straight on. "Over there is a Bluk Berry tree. You need more of those than the other two."

"How much more?"

"I'll tell you when enough is enough."

Kairi started to feel that this was becoming more of a burden. Standing there in the warm sun, feeling the wind pick up for an instant, the trees' branches creaking, Kairi felt the question beginning to burst. Before she could think about it, she inquired "Mistress, whose clothes was I wearing earlier?"

Snapping her head in Kairi's direction, Milotic narrowed her eyes towards her. Her heart sank, Kairi turned away from her mistress, placing her hands behind her back. "S-Sorry, I was just wondering-"

"I don't know whose clothes those belonged to. All I know is that you had them on when I found you."

Despite the harsh look Milotic gave, Kairi was surprised to hear her voice oddly calm and tranquil. A reasonable answer for a question that she was sure would have gotten her struck. Standing at attention, ceasing her idle movement, Kairi tried her best to appear more confident. She knew not to press the issue further.

Raising her hand towards the first tree, Kairi asked "So that one first?"

"If you want. The branches are much lower, so you shouldn't need my help." Milotic simply glided over to the tree, circling around it, and had her head near the closest branch. She motioned with her fins for Kairi to follow suit. "I'll be right here for you."

Walking over to the branch, seeing it being well within arm's reach, Kairi simply hopped up and pulled herself up onto it. It took a minute to do so, yet Kairi had a rush of satisfaction swell up in her as she stood on the branch, looking down at the ground below her.

"I see you're getting used to this. That's good," Milotic simply stated, trying to ease Kairi a bit more into this. Raising her fins, Milotic pointed up, towards a large berry that hung off of the branch above Kairi. "Grab that and drop it down. Don't worry about it breaking, it should be low enough to where it doesn't matter."

Shimmying across the branch, Kairi's toes dug into the rough bark, a firm grip providing her the balance she needed. The berry was long, about a foot in length, dangling precariously on the edge. Unphased by the size, Kairi swatted at it with her hand, tipping it and seeing the berry fall from the mere motion of its weight. Landing on the ground with a soft thud, Kairi followed suit.

Seating herself on the branch, then sliding off, Kairi landed on the ground on her feet, momentarily falling on all fours as she was caught off guard. After a moment, she stood up, feeling her legs wobble from the impact.

Kairi felt her mistress's fins rub up against her back, then saw the Milotic circling around them again, pushing the berries that she had collected so far into a pile. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." Kairi tried to make herself sound more confident, but wasn't entirely sure if she could continue this. Her legs felt as if they turned into jelly from the landing. Even as she stood up, Kairi had to lean against the nearby tree to keep herself steady. Taking in a deep breath, she raised her hand and pointed to the other tree. "That one next, right?"

She couldn't take a break. Not after her mistress expected so much of her.

"Yes, that's the next tree." Milotic saw how peculiar Kairi seemed. She could sense Kairi trying to hide something from her, but her eagerness to serve was enough to offset whatever was paining her. She remained at that spot, keeping by the berries as her head swiveled in that direction. "Bluk berry trees aren't too tall. You should have no problem scaling that one."

"Right…"

Making her way through the ferns towards the tree, Kairi ignored the feeling in her legs. She had to keep going. Even as she approached the first branch, which was much thinner than the Belue berry tree, Kairi climbed onto it with ease, swinging her legs up and making sure that she was safe.

Afterwards, she plucked the berries, sometimes in batches, while other times one at a time. Kairi dropped them to the floor, seeing her mistress scoop up the berries she picked up and transition over to where the Bluk Berry tree was. Hoisting herself up to another branch, Kairi heard the Milotic speak to her.

"Just a couple more. There's a good batch just a few feet higher!" 

"Where?"

Catching her breath, Kairi noticed her mistress pointing up. Following it, she saw a batch of Bluk Berries that were ripe for the taking. It would be several more branches of climbing to reach them. Kairi felt sweat dripping down her forehead, already tired. Her eyes flicked over and saw… _something_. It rustled in the branches above, disappearing as quickly as it appeared. Pausing, she wondered what it was.

Ignoring her discomfort, Kairi pushed on.. She ascended the tree, feeling the warm sun embrace her. Yet all she could think of was how her heart raced. It began pounding in her ears as she climbed up, finally reaching the spot with the berries.

Leaning forward, feet on one branch, hands on the other, Kairi saw how high up she had been. Carefully, she shook the branch, seeing the berries fall and bounce off twigs below. Kairi could feel herself starting to become uneasy.

Kairi felt the terror wash over her again. She had to climb back down. As fast as possible. Everything told her to get out of here. Staring back down at the ground, a dizziness started to rise up in Kairi. The ground seemed to lurch back, and she shut her eyes, trying to catch her breath.

Sensing Kairi's terror, Milotic felt upset. _How could she be scared again?_ After the demonstration yesterday, she wasn't sure how Kairi could keep having this happen. Her patience had been starting to run thin. "Kairi, prove you are strong for your mistress and come down. You have the berries you need." The last thing Milotic needed was Kairi behaving like a child, not a proper servant.

Hearing this, Kairi opened up her eyes, taking in deep breaths. She could do this. She could-

Before a second even passed, Kairi felt something wrap around her waist. It was thin, felt like a softer root, and she was lifted up. Disappearing into the branches above, Kairi flailed her arms, trying to grab a branch. "Ah!"

Quickly turned around, Kairi's heart nearly stopped as she came face to face with something unusual looking. Its banana-yellow body, speckled like green patches, had only been matched by its fierce looking eyes that leered at her. Leaves protruded from its sides, and a giant leaf covered the top. Feeling her arms becoming pinned to her sides, Kairi cried loudly.

"Let go of me! W-What are you doing?!"

Her throat became dry as everything in her body told her to get away as fast as possible. Kicking her legs, Kairi felt the creature suspend her from a branch. "Let go! _Let go!_"

Before any other move could be done, a beam of ice shot out from below. The creature that had grabbed Kairi had been surprised, struck by it without even a moment to get out of the way. The tendrils wrapped around Kairi loosened, and the next thing she knew she was falling.

Panic swelled up in Kairi as she fell. Vivid emeralds were blurs as she felt everything slow down. Her hands shot up to reach something to stop her fall. Pain erupted along her shoulder, then her sides. Twirling through the tree, she was lost in the blur of leaves, sky and earth, branches scratching at her along the way. By the time Kairi hit the ground with a heavy thud, she was certain that something was broken.

Milotic stared at the creature that had taken Kairi hostag, recognizing it immediately. "A Victreebell, how pathetic," she muttered to Kairi. Lowering her gaze towards her servant, she wondered if this event would render Kairi incapable of climbing for berries. Feeling how the human girl hurt all over, Milotic quickly realized something.

She had pushed Kairi too hard, too soon.

Now, with hindsight clarity, Milotic could tell that Kairi was pushing her limits after hopping off the first tree. A strange feeling swelled up in her, something that she hadn't feel for quite some time.

Guilt.

Taking her tail and scratching the fins against Kairi's back, Milotic spoke softly.

"Kairi. Are you alright?"

Seeing her servant shake her head, her shoulders already began to move from crying. Milotic felt pangs through her whole body. What was this? She had done worse to humans before in an attempt to keep them away, and yet here she was, trying to soothe one's pain. Another question that sprung up: why did she save Kairi? Wasn't she dispensable?

What a peculiar thought.

For a while, Kairi laid there, feeling Milotic scratching her back gently to soothe her nerves. She wasn't sure how long it was since she landed. Her fingers clutched at the grass near her out of frustration. How many times was she going to be a burden? Someone that the Graceful One had to coax out of a tree. Whatever that thing was, it wasn't her fault that it attacked her! The pulsating pain only served as a remainder of her hesitance to get down fast enough.

Sighing, after what seemed like forever, laying here with aches all over, Kairi slowly pushed herself up. First on her knees, then onto her feet as she wobbled, her legs nearly give out. She saw her mistress appeared concerned, even as Kairi patted her knees, catching breath.

"Are you sure you should be up?"

Nodding, Kairi tried her best to beam towards her mistress. She still ached, but also believed that it shouldn't stop her from doing her job. Raising her arm and flexing it, Kairi tried to convey positivity. Even as she winced in pain from her shoulder, she knew to keep working. Something inside just couldn't stop screaming for her to keep working. To keep pushing herself forward without any regard for herself.

Sensing this, Milotic wondered if she should take action. Observing as Kairi briskly walked about, picking up the berries and holding it in her arms, Milotic had an impulse flash through her mind. Seeing scratches on Kairi's body in several spots, she knew that worse could happen if they were left untreated. "Wait here."

Knowing this whole island her whole life, Milotic disappeared for a minute, went to the nearest Sitrus tree, plucked one, and returned to Kairi's side. She held it in her mouth for the time being, knowing that Kairi had too many berries already. "Let's return to the cave."

Both Kairi and Milotic moved through the jungle foliage, with Milotic slightly ahead to lead the way. Minutes passed, and Kairi moved at a sluggish pace, but tried to push the pain away. She walked with an awkward step, doing her best to keep the berries from toppling over. Every so often, Kairi hissed in pain as she adjusted the berries.

Milotic hadn't been sure what to do. Were humans always been this foolhardy when it came to injuries? She made a low hum to herself, contemplating on how to apply the Sitrus Berry to Kairi's wounds. Milotic was certain that Kairi would be hesitant to keep doing her tasks for today. Perhaps this was more trouble than it was worth. But what other option was there?

Grunting, Kairi felt herself beginning to weaken. She noticed her bated breath, the way her legs stumbled. Everything felt heavier as she went along, her pace slowing as she felt a berry or two topple from the pile in her arms. Catching her breath, Kairi felt something snap in her. Falling over, the pain pulsed through her as the berries scattered. She saw them tumble over the soft soil before coming to a stop by the stream.

Her heart sank into the pits of her stomach. She must have looked pathetic. Laying here on the ground, with only a Belue berry in her arms, the rest of them rolling away. The pain along her back worsened, and all Kairi could do was lay there, motionless. What was wrong with her? This entire morning had been dreadful from the moment she woke up. First that weird dream. Then whatever _that_ was that attacked her. Now this.

It was too much. Kairi held back the tears, clutching the dirt with her free hand. She just wanted to weep, to cry out her frustrations that welled up in her. If she had been a reliable servant before, than she really did forget everything she learned.

As she laid there, rolling the Belue berry out from underneath her, Kairi saw the Milotic gliding over the ground, pushing the berries back in her direction. The only thing left was for her mistress to chastise her over her poor performance.

"Kairi, there is no need to cry." Milotic calmly said this in Kairi's mind, taking her fins and lifting her upper half up to meet her gaze. She could see the human girl's eyes water, sensing the frustration and pent up sorrow that Kairi had. Letting a pacifying aura permeate the air, Milotic thought of what to say.

"W-Why isn't there? I-I hurt all over. I can barely hold those berries up! And I j-just-" Kairi sniffled, unable to finish her statement. She shut her eyes, and her face appeared agitated.

'_How pathetic_.' Milotic thought this to herself as she watched Kairi steadily descend into irritation. Yet it also plucked at her icy heart. It reminded her of when she was a young Feebas, when she had been tossed and beaten without a second thought. The feeling of giving up was one that had been fleeting in her youth, only thought of rarely, but it had been there all the same.

Perhaps she and Kairi were similar in one way.

Steadily lowering Kairi back onto the ground, Milotic lowered her head, took the berry out of her mouth, and rinsed it thoroughly with her cold water. "You still have legs, do you not?"

Kairi shifted uncomfortably, her legs curling up underneath her. "W-Well yes, but-"

"You also have arms to carry these berries with." Milotic placed the Sitrus berry down before Kairi, having cleaned it and made sure that it was properly rinsed for her servant. "You haven't failed me if you still have those attached to you. You only fail me if you give up.

"I understand that you've been hurting from earlier, and that is fine. I do not expect you to push yourself more than you have to with an injury. _However_, this is what humans call training. You are training to serve me better." Milotic used her fins to somewhat push Kairi back up into a seated posture. "Eat that berry, and listen closely."

Once Kairi had taken the Sitrus berry, biting into it, Milotic spoke carefully to her servant. The early morning sun warmed them in that spot, where the jungle had gotten quiet, as if holding its breath for what the Graceful One had to say. When she had been sure that Kairi started to feel better after a minute, she continued.

"My desire for you is to become what you forgot to be. Before you lost your memories, you were bright, obedient, and were very good at taking commands. We were tightly bound as mistress and servant. I want you to become strong. I want you to become beautiful, and filled with grace as my servant. I only want the best for you, Kairi, yet you _cannot_ simply give up on everything that we worked together on.

"Do you understand?"

Having sat there and listened to this, eating the berry, feeling the aches starting to melt away, Kairi had been intent on capturing every word. Every pause was a moment to consider what the Graceful One said to her. Every desire she had for Kairi was something to aspire to.

Wiping away her tears, thoroughly eating the Sitrus berry before tossing the core aside, Kairi genuinely beamed towards her mistress. "I understand!" Despite the ache in her arm still throbbing, albeit dulled, Kairi got back onto her feet, stretched her arms over her head, and went back to work. Picking up the berries one by one, making sure that they were arranged more naturally this time, several minutes passed as Kairi stood at attention once more. Standing in the stream, with the gentle water passing by, she grinned at her mistress.

"Shall we get going?"

Pleased to see Kairi more enthusiastic, Milotic lowered her head. "Yes, let us go back to the cave." It was satisfying to see Kairi bounce up from her frustration. It was far more simple than she anticipated to help her servant feel better. Perhaps she was overcomplicating things in her head. Sweeping up in the air, she once again plucked an Aspear berry on the way back before returning to Kairi's side.

The Graceful One simply hoped that what she had in mind would help with the scratches. They entered the cavern again, passing through the narrow corridor, with Kairi keeping her pace. As they entered the main chamber, the sunlight streaking through the ceiling, illuminating the cavern more than before, Milotic spoke calmly to her servant.

"Follow me."

Eager to see what she had in mind, Kairi hauled the berries over to where her mistress had been moving towards. After this rough morning, she had been anticipating having some rest and relaxation. Even as the cool, damp air provided some sense of relief, Kairi made sure to keep her balance.

When her mistress circled around a convex structure, which had been smooth with defined edges, Kairi knelt down before it. "What is-"

"Put the berries in here."

Shooting her mistress a glance, Kairi allowed the berries to roll from her arms. They landed with a soft thud, and all she could do was stare at it. What was this all about? How were berries going to help her become more beautiful?

She heard her mistress speak to her calmly. "Now, step in and be sure to mesh them into a paste. This is important."

At this rate, Kairi was perplexed. But not wanting to question her mistress, she slid into the structure, noting how at full height, her hips were at the edge's height. Kairi felt berries crush underneath her weight, and it was a strange feeling. They were slippery, yet textured, and with each step she had to make sure she was planted in a spot to not slip. "So, just do this?" Kairi asked, ensuring that she was doing it correctly.

"Yes." Milotic arched her head over Kairi, observing the mixture as the different berries meshed into each other. The broken skin sank to the bottom, leaving behind seeds and juice on the surface. Seeing Kairi here, preparing the bath that she had in mind for her, made nostalgia swell up within her. It reminded her of simpler times, before titles, before she met _him_.

Several minutes passed. Seeing that that was enough, Milotic raised her fins. "You can get out now."

Grumbling a bit to herself, annoyed at the sensation of the berries clinging to her feet, Kairi climbed out of the structure with some difficulty. Setting herself down, the next thing she saw had been her mistress billowing out cold water into the structure. The berries floated on top, and after a moment of ceasing, Milotic billowed out steaming water. Eventually, there had been a warm berry-water mixture in the structure, tall enough to where Kairi could sit comfortably with her head above the surface.

"Now, stir it with your hands until it becomes thick."

Nodding, Kairi leaned over and, after realizing that wouldn't be good enough, laid down before the mixture. Taking her hands, she pushed them into it as her mistress instructed. She could feel the berries on top stick to her, and with some difficulty, Kairi moved her arms in a swirling motion. Her eyes lit up, seeing her stirring beginning to cause the berries to dip under, then bob back up. After several more minutes of this she started to notice that the mixture clung to her flesh.

When Kairi receded her arms from the mixture, making a sort of groan as she saw the sticky bath cling to her arm, she heard her mistress chime up again. "Get into the bath now."

Gulping, the next thing Kairi knew had been her sitting in the mixture, the pungent smell starting to take up her senses. What was the point of this? Kairi felt how thick the mixture was, and how it appeared overbearing. She felt the Milotic's fins press on her head, along with further instructions.

"Submerge yourself for a few seconds. I'll spread the mixture around your body."

Taking in a deep breath, Kairi hesitated, but after shutting her eyes and tensing up her body she went under. In that darkness, surrounded by firm liquid, the warmth provided some comfort. Kairi thought on how this had been a peculiar idea. Was this supposed to help her become beautiful? If so, did she really agree to this before she lost her memories?

Feeling the Milotic's fins press against her, smoothing over her back and sides, Kairi emerged from the mixture, taking in a fresh breath. Opening her eyes, she saw her mistress moving her fins along her back, then moving to the front. "So what will this do anyway?" she inquired to the Milotic, feeling the fins now pressing against her legs.

"This will help to make your body soft and smooth, and it will give your skin a nice sheen. It's what I do sometimes when I feel my scales dry out."

A moment passed, and Kairi, with furrowed eyebrows, sat there, shifting a bit as she had a question come to her mind. "How do you know about humans? That's what I am, right? You mentioned it earlier when you were telling me that I was doing what humans called training."

Silently, Milotic kept moving her fins along Kairi. _She talked too much_. It was bound to get her into trouble some time or another. Once she had been certain that every spot had been thoroughly applied to, she receded her fins. "That's for another time. Now, I need you to remain in here until I say so."

"But you didn't ans-"

"Five hours."

Turning to face her mistress, Kairi's eyes popped out of that strange mix of reds and violets. "What?! Why so long?"

"Because that's how long it takes." Smiling, Milotic lowered her head, feeling the need to assert her position. "It will take much work for you to become a beautiful servant for your mistress. You must work hard and endure these trials if you wish to remain here. Before you lost your memories, you were eager to pull yourself through these and prove to me that you were loyal.

"But there is no need to worry about that time. I have something else I must use your mind for, instead of complaining idly," Milotic stated to Kairi calmly, lowering her head and coming face to face with her servant. Her eyes glowed, emitting rays invisible to the naked eye. It encircled Kairi's mind, preventing her servant from having idle thoughts rush around her.

"What.. Is…" Kairi stared into her mistress's eyes, feeling herself becoming relaxed. A soft smile formed on her face, feeling her eyes flutter. She found herself sinking into the bath slightly, more at ease than she was before.

Ceasing the hypnosis once she felt that Kairi's mind was opened, Milotic kept her gaze towards her. She found that, over the years, when Pokemon were in a certain state of mind under hypnosis, it was possible to influence their thoughts. Considering Kairi's memories had been locked away with ease, Milotic took this opportunity to try this out with a human, something she hadn't done before.

"You can only become strong, beautiful and full of grace when you are working hard for me. You cannot let anything get in the way of becoming my loyal servant. Hard work and dedication is all I ask of you."

Milotic saw Kairi ease up further, almost dipping underneath the berry mixture. Taking her fins, she turned Kairi back up to a seated position and made sure that she wouldn't sink in on accident.

As a Feebas, Milotic knew that having a beautiful body required dedication and thinking of the end-goal over the long term. She felt that Kairi should think the same.

"Imagine a better body than you have now. Think of having skin that is softer, healthier and radiant like my scales. Your hair can become lighter, and have a brighter shine to it." She took her fins to rub Kairi's stomach to soothe her servant further. "Envision your arms and legs becoming stronger. Climb through trees with ease. Carry a hundred berries without faltering. Picture yourself this way, and your body will accept it.

"Sleep now."

Once Kairi fell asleep in the mixture, Milotic withdrew her fins, staring at the human girl as she sat there, chin dipped into the bath. The Graceful One only wanted the best for Kairi, to have her serve and obey without question. Yet she also knew that this was going to be an uphill battle. With rescuing her from the Victreebell earlier, Milotic wasn't sure if that had been a momentary lapse of judgement on her end, or whether it meant something more.

Either way, she began to recede back to her pool of water. Once she dipped in, curling on top of herself, she saw the mixture clinging to her fins. Holding it up to the light, she became curious on what it would look like.

It looked very red.

Specifically, the reds of her fins. Her eyes widened, surprised at this revelation. Spraying it off of her fins, all she could think of now was how Kairi would look once the bath was over. Curling up in her pool, she shut her eyes. It was time to get some rest.


	4. Chapter III

Rain poured from the gray skies. She swam in a panic. She had just narrowly avoided getting caught by a trainer. Mentally cursing her own luck, her fins were rapidly treading the water, attempting to make her way deeper into the island.

Everything hurt. A searing hatred for trainers swelled up in her heart. _What made them so arrogant?_ As she leaped out of the water, getting a good look at her surroundings, her eyes caught sight of another trainer.

What she remembered was a blur. She was beaten, bitten, and scratched at by a Zigzagoon. A heavy blow was landed, and she entered the capsule, only to break out. If it hadn't been for _him_, she would have surely been captured.

The first thing she noticed was his blue fur, with those black, leather-like hides on his paws and face. It had left her with a sense of wonder. When he knelt down, his red-orange eyes filled with concern, everything melted away as she calmed down.

"Are you alright?"

Opening her eyes, Milotic stirred from her sleep. She had nostalgia flooding through her. A bitter-sweet sensation rose up in her heart. More than ever, she wondered where _he_ was. It had been several months since they last spoke, coincidentally the same time that those two trainers appeared.

Trainers…

Dipping her head out of the water, her gaze turned towards Kairi, who had been resting in the berry bath. A glance in her direction turned into an inquisitive look at the beams of light that streamed into the cavern. The angle of the light indicated that it was now early afternoon, roughly about the time that she told Kairi to stay in there.

Flowing out of her pool, the Graceful One had to shake herself awake. Making her way towards Kairi, she put that memory aside. That was the past. Now she had to take care of a human and ensure that Kairi stayed loyal to her.

What would _he_ think about this?

Circling around the pool, she saw Kairi in that same position. That question sprung up in her mind. If she had told Kairi how she knew so much about humans, it was a certainty that it would permanently break her mind. As if she needed a nervous wreck all over again.

Now to put on a good face, take in a deep breath, and speak to her servant.

"Kairi, wake up."

At first, she saw the girl lay there motionless. Milotic worried that she would have to rudely wake Kairi up with a splash to the face, or something of the sort. Much to her relief, Kairi let off a yawn, stretching her arms up as she found herself going under by accident. Scrambling back up, Kairi glanced up at her. She noticed how Kairi had a much brighter expression cross her.

"H-Hi!" Kairi exclaimed, sputtering as she caught herself. Blinking several times, she eased up, feeling herself dip back into the bath. "Is it that time already?" she inquired, feeling at ease.

Nodding, Milotic lowered her head towards Kairi. "Are you ready to be cleansed?"

Moving out of the bath, feeling the berry juices drip off of her, Kairi struggled for a moment before she rolled herself out. It was an unusual sensation, with the mixture clinging to her flesh, but with the cool air of the cavern cascading over her. After fumbling back onto her feet, she turned, seeing her mistress letting loose a surge of steaming water into the bath. The steam rose and swirled from the structure, and it hadn't been a minute later when

Trembling, holding her arms together, Kairi made a meek smile. "I-I'm ready!"

Her mistress approached her, eyed her up and down, and a rush of cool water swelled out of her. Clenching her eyes shut, Kairi was turned every so often by her mistress. Kairi found this to be a dizzying experience as her mistress sprayed her down. The pressure of the water was high, but still comfortable. Every so often she felt her mistress's fins scrape against her skin, but carefully making sure they didn't hurt. Once she was turned upside-down, Kairi opened her eyes.

Disoriented, Kairi hung upside down in Milotic's coils. Water dripped off of her, leaving Kairi shivering from the cool cavern air starting to envelop her once more. Seeing her mistress look at her curiously, she shifted herself within her mistress's grasp.

"So… Now what?" Kairi beamed towards Milotic. Shifting inside of her mistress's coils, she made a nervous chuckle. "Um… You can let me down now, right?"

Never did the Graceful One think that she could be more _satisfied_ as she had been at that instant. She didn't have a good moment to observe Kairi while cleaning her, but now that everything had been cleaned off, it had turned out far better than she anticipated. Particularly with how it detailed Kairi's hair. Shifting her servant upright, gently uncoiling from her, Milotic spoke calmly. "How about you stand in the light, over there?"

Feeling her damp hair stick to her forehead, Kairi had to stand still to reorient herself. Once she felt as if she was on steady ground, she approached the light. Kairi still hadn't been entirely sure on what her mistress wanted out of this. Even as she stepped into the light, she wondered if there would be a noticeable difference.

Circling around Kairi, Milotic had been able to properly see her servant. The way the light shone upon her revealed the effects of the berry bath had been immediate. Kairi's skin appeared to be purified, free from blemishes, and the scratches healed up nicely because of the berries.

Most of all, Milotic had been deeply satisfied with how the bath had a profound effect on Kairi's hair. The snow-white from before was heavily dyed into a crimson, nearly matching her own fins. A genuine smile crossed her face as she brushed her fin against Kairi's shoulder. On top of all of these benefits, Kairi's skin had also become softer.

During this, Kairi carefully observed her own skin. Noticing how it had been tinted red from the bath, something that made her curious to learn more about these berry baths. Looking towards her mistress, Kairi raised her eyebrows, her heart rising and feeling lighter. "What did that bath do?"

"If I may say so myself, you look lovely, Kairi." Milotic placed her fin underneath Kairi's chin, tipping it up to observe her servant's expression. She acknowledged her servant's question, and had a smirk cross her. "As I told you before, the bathing made your skin and hair healthier."

Slipping away from Kairi, she approached her own pool of water, which had settled and become still. "Come over here and look into the water."

Intrigue and excitement washed over Kairi. Seeing how her mistress react to the effects made her eager to see what had changed. Walking at a swift pace, Kairi could barely contain herself as she stood by her mistress's pool. Feeling everything in her grow warm, she saw her mistress encourage her to take a look. Taking in a deep breath, she leaned over the pool, resting her arms on the edge.

Kairi took in the sight of her on that still surface. Her face had indeed appeared healthier, with more of a sheen on it that complimented her soft features. But what struck her as the most jarring had been her now crimson hair. While she had liked her hair before, this was mind-boggling how different it looked. Her hands raised to brush it through her hair. Even if it was still wet, some time outside would dry it out and make it more natural.

"I-Is this really how I look?"

As Kairi rubbed her cheeks, noting how soft they were now, she felt her mistress wrap two coils around her hips. The Milotic leaned over Kairi, showing up in the reflection.

"You enjoy your new looks, I see."

Quickly nodding, Kairi had a wide grin spring up, placing her hands on the edge of the pool again. "Yeah! It looks great!"

Pride swelled up in the Graceful One. Seeing her servant overjoyed from the result of the bath only served to satisfy her ego. After all, this was only because of _her_ that the bath went so well. As she stared at Kairi in the reflection, a thought did cross her mind. With her hair similarly colored like her fins, if she hadn't been a human, something told her that Kairi could have easily passed as a daughter.

"You must learn that looks are not everything, however. While your body is becoming more beautiful and healther, you must also learn to act and behave beautiful as well. There is no sense in having physical beauty if you are not graceful."

Tilting her head, Kairi heard her mistress state this, but the idea went over her head. "What do you mean?" She tapped her foot against the floor, her mind already racing with possibilities. When her mistress didn't say anything at that instant, she glanced over at her through the reflection. "Mistress?"

Beginning to move, uncoiling from Kairi's waist, Milotic circled around her servant once more. She spoke in a calm tone to her servant, her eyes lighting up with delight. "I will train you to act beautiful, and with grace. I can assure you that you'll never be as beautiful as yours truly-" she made a small gesture with her fins "-if you work hard, Pokemon and humans alike will bow before your beauty."

Starting to glide towards her pool of water, the Graceful One continued speaking to her servant. "But that will be saved for later. For now, I have no tasks in mind for you." Circling into her pool of water, she displaced some as it gushed out onto the floor. "If you wish to sleep comfortably tonight, find what you need to make your bedding. I cannot always allow you to sleep on my scales."

Facing her mistress, slowly moving towards her, Kairi had been about to say something. Perhaps it was a thanks, or something similar. As she heard her mistress speak to her about this, her face had instead contorted into concern. Placing her hands on her hips, Kairi sighed. "If that's the case, I suppose it's part of training, right?"

Once her mistress nodded in agreement, Kairi made a bow towards her from the waist. She felt more mellow from this news, which was peculiar when she thought about it. Once Kairi stood upright, she rubbed the back of her head, making a meek smile. "So what should I do then?"

"Outside, you can pick leaves and ferns to create bedding. Take as many as what makes you comfortable." Yawning, Milotic raised her fins to dismiss her servant. "You don't have to go too far, so you should be fine on your own."

That was all Kairi needed to hear. Taking in a deep breath, she felt more at ease with this answer. "I will do my best then, mistress." Turning on her heels, Kairi briskly walked towards the entrance to the cavern.

Seeing her servant walking on her own, disappearing into the entrance, Milotic felt that her suggestion had been far stronger than she anticipated. Already Kairi appeared to be far more mellow compared to this morning. It was a departure from a drained, sniveling human girl. It might not get rid of all of her flaws, but she was certain that Kairi would be easier to take in commands.

Once she felt Kairi's presence leave the cave, she rested on her coils. No Pokemon would dare to come close to her home, let alone approach Kairi. A nude human that smells of water and berries would probably confuse them. Finally feeling some form of comfort in this, she was left alone in the cavern with her own thoughts.

Outside of the cavern, Kairi stood there, shielding her eyes from the bright afternoon sunlight. On her own for the first time, she saw how the stream above dribbled down towards the cavern. Blinking several times, the jungles surrounding her on all sides, she felt that the easiest course would be to follow the stream. After all, it was easy to follow and a notable landmark.

Feeling her feet press into the damp soil on the stream's banks, Kairi took the time to take in the sights and sounds. With her new appearance, she felt far more comfortable. Placing her hands behind her back, her eyes gazed up at the canopies above her, seeing how tall the trees stretched, the sun in the sky still poking through with an intensity. The air was hot and humid, but not uncomfortable for Kairi. Even as she looked over at her left and right, the jungle was thick, with vines dangling down and some Pokemon flying between the trees.

She flinched at the sight of one that flew overhead. That brought her thoughts back to earlier, how she had nearly died at a Pokemon's hand. If her mistress hadn't intervened, Kairi hadn't been sure on what would have happened. Perhaps she should ask the Graceful One on what she should do if that happened again.

Pausing, Kairi saw the nearby ferns. She had been lost in her own thoughts for several minutes, keeping near the stream, and suddenly remembered why she was out here to begin with. Looking back, the cavern entrance had disappeared into the foliage behind her, but she still had a relative idea of where she was. Crouching down to the fern, Kairi remembered how they brushed up against her, and how soft they felt. Getting on her knees, she rubbed the fern's leaf between her hands, also noting how large it was. Just a few of these would do the trick!

Eagerly, she took her hand, followed the leaf to the base, and snapped it off. Holding it up, Kairi saw how the single leaf had been about a third of her size in length and width. She hummed to herself, returning to pluck several more from the fern.

Her thoughts went undistracted, focused on the task at hand. She heard the bubbling water behind her, even as she got on all fours and went into the foliage to pick some more. Kairi knew that there had to be more-

"AI-POM!"

Her heart skipped a beat as this loud cry come out from above. A scream escaped her and immediately scurried through the brush. Curling up into a ball in the clearing by the stream, Kairi found herself defenseless against whatever called out to her. She managed to see purple fur, and clenched her eyes shut.

"G-Get away from me!"

Kairi heard the creature leap up and hide in the branches above. All she could think of was how it could descend upon her, and then do unimaginable things. Just like that creature from this morning!

As she laid there, curled up into a ball, Kairi heard scurrying from the tree. Opening her eyes, peeking out at whatever it was that was approaching her, Kairi got a better look at this Pokemon. It looked small, with a tail that had a glove-like hand on the end of it. Hopping towards her on all fours, Kairi flinched and tried her best to curl up even more.

"W-What are you? I don't have anything."

Tilting their head, the Aipom stared at Kairi, feeling more confused with each passing second. It crouched down in front of Kairi, looking at her straight in the eyes with their own bright pair. It had seen trainers before in the past, and most were either annoyed or appeared upset when confronted with Pokemon. This was the first time that they had seen a human that was so afraid of them. What was she even doing here anyway?

"Aipom! Aip!"

Patting their chest, they tried to make themselves establish that they weren't a threat. Putting on that trademark goofy grin, they stood tall, offering their glove-like tail for Kairi. "Aipom!"

Blinking, noticing the Aipom extend out their hand towards her, Kairi slowly got out of her curled up posture. Pushing herself up, she felt the specks of dirt stick to her side, and a groan escaped her. Realizing that it wasn't going to hurt her had been a sweet relief. Sitting upright, she felt somewhat embarrassed at that realization. Here she was, scared that it was going to kill or hurt her, and it wasn't hostile in the slightest! Taking in a deep breath, Kairi spoke quietly.

"S-Sorry. I just haven't had the best time here."

Looking down at the Aipom, she shook its hand-like tail. Something about the way they held it out indicated to her that they meant for it to be shaken. Kairi noticed how soft their fur was, on top of how delighted they looked when she took their hand. "So you're an Aipom?"

"Aipom!"

"I guess that answers my question." Kairi laughed, pleased to know that they had no intention of harming her. As she tried to withdraw her hand back, Aipom immediately leapt onto her. At first she was startled, but saw how they landed on her lap, snuggling up to her stomach. She had to resist the urge to push him off, being the first Pokemon, outside of her mistress, to rub up against her like this. Feeling them getting this close to her was an unusual feeling, but all she had to do was think of what her mistress said earlier.

_All Pokemon and humans will bow to your beauty_.

With that thought in mind, Kairi couldn't help but feel appreciative of her mistress. Stroking the Aipom's head, she did her best tom not giggle. The way they rubbed their head against her stomach made it tickle, something that she knew her mistress wouldn't allow.

"So… What else can you do?"

Hearing this, Aipom looked up at Kairi. Although it couldn't quite understand what she was saying, they could tell from the way her expression shifted that she was curious. "Aipom!" Leaping off of her, Aipom quickly went to the stream, plucked up four rocks, and stood before Kairi with a delighted look crossing them. Without further to do, it began to juggle.

Tossed up into the air, the rocks twirled as Aipom made sure to keep their balance. It watched cautiously at their own juggling antics, making certain that every little detail didn't go unnoticed. It tossed the rocks in the air, expertly moving them between each hand without any sense of intimidation.

They saw how Kairi observed them, leaning forward as a delighted look crossed her, and all they could think had been how this human seemed so different from the rest. Even the way she smelled had been so unique so as to catch their eye. After several minutes of juggling the rocks, they caught them all into their hands, before casually walking over to the stream and discarding it. Returning to Kairi, they bowed, placing their gloved tail in front.

Thoroughly entertained by the Aipom, Kairi couldn't help but keep smiling. She clapped her hands together, and bowed her head towards her newest acquaintance. "I was too quick to judge. I apologize!" Rising up as soon as she said that, Kairi locked eyes with the Aipom, realizing what she had been out here for in the first place. Standing up, stretching her arms and legs, Kairi made a grunt as she eased up.

"But I have to go and get some leaves for bedding."

As soon as she said that, Kairi noticed how the Aipom picked up the couple of fern leaves that she had plucked. "Yeah! Those!" Noticing how instinctively they went for the leaves, Kairi placed a hand on her hip and had an idea come to mind. "Actually, would you mind helping me out with this? I have to pick a lot of these so I can sleep comfortably."

Momentarily confused, Aipom stared at Kairi, then back to the leaf it held in its hand. It knew that Kairi had been gathering leaves, but they weren't sure why. However, she seemed sincere in her words, and so it raised the leaf over their head and nodded in agreement. As long as she wasn't going to harm them, they would be willing to help out.

Quickly, the two went to work, making swift work of the nearby ferns and grasses. It hadn't been more than ten minutes when they met up by the stream, each holding a sizable amount of bedding material. The early afternoon sun warmed them, melting down whatever anxieties Kairi had.

Laughing, half-running, Kairi felt liberated. She led the way to her mistress's cavern, looking back every so often to see Aipom chasing after her. There had been something about this that just made her so blissful. Perhaps it was the realization that not all Pokemon were out to get her. Or it could be her mistress's words becoming true. As she stopped herself before the cave, Kairi waited patiently for her new friend to come back.

"Hey Aipom!" Turning back, she saw her companion stand some ways away. They stood there, eyes wider when they caught sight of the entrance. Keeping the bedding close to them, Aipom's goofy grin was swiftly replaced with an anxious one. Their feet trembled, and their tail began to shiver. Worried, Kairi motioned for them to come closer. "What's wrong? Come on, let's go!"

Begrudgingly, the Aipom came closer, still finding Kairi enjoyable to be around. Once they had gotten close to Kairi, hands clinging to the bedding that they had gathered for her, both human and Aipom descended into the cave.

The first thing that went through the Aipom's head was fear. Fear of meeting _her_ head on. When Kairi turned the corner, they caught a glance of what looked like Pokeballs in the corner, but they hadn't been sure. Scurrying alongside their friend, Aipom could feel their heart racing. Terror pulsed through them, fearing what they got themselves into.

They entered the main chamber, and the smell of the Graceful One was unmistakable. Aipom kept close to Kairi, even as she stood at the entrance, seeing her unphased by the fact that she stood in front of the most feared Pokemon on the island.

"Mistress! I'm back!"

When the Milotic uncurled from the pool, Aipom hid behind Kairi, hoping that the Graceful One wouldn't see them. Approaching Kairi, her icy gaze staring at the Aipom, they felt everything scream at them to run away. Dropping the bedding, the normal-type ran as fast as they could out of the cavern.

The Graceful One and her servant stared at each other for a moment, with Kairi looking back to see Aipom sprinting out of the cave. Milotic was the first to speak.

"I didn't expect you to be so attractive after a single bath." She tipped Kairi's chin upward, tilting her servant up to get a closer look. "Why was that Aipom helping you? Did you order it to do so?" She paused, then smirked. "Did you do it by force?"

"What?" Kairi blinked, surprised at that last question. Shaking her head, she couldn't help but blush at her mistress's comment about being attractive. "N-No! I just asked them to help."

_Asked?_ That concept was absurd. Milotic observed Kairi's face to make sure that she hadn't been lying to her. Kairi wasn't lying. That alone struck her as peculiar. Having been a trainer before this, the Graceful One was certain that there would be _some_ remains of it in her subconscious. Some traits that she had yet to scrub out. Moving her coils to drape around Kairi's shoulders, she spoke sternly. "You were not sure, so I will only tell you this once. _Never_ bring outsiders into my cave, unless I command it.

"Now, place the bedding where you please, and return to my side. I've been thinking of what to train you for while you were away."

Without too much thought, Kairi picked up the bedding, walked along the cavern, and nonchalantly laid it down some distance away from her mistress's pool. When she crouched down, scattered the leaves around, all Kairi could think of was what her mistress had planned for her. Once she made sure that it was proper, Kairi walked over to her mistress's side once more.

Once she stood at attention, Kairi waited patiently for her mistress to explain what the training was. She saw the Graceful One glance at several of the berries that were picked yesterday, making them levitate and bringing them closer.

"Mistress, I didn't know you could make berries float." Kairi said this quietly, trying to curb her enthusiasm for this lesson in grace. The berries landed on the ground before her, brushing up against their feet before they lost momentum.

"There are many things that I learned over the years. How do you think I am able to float in the air freely? Through sheer will alone?" Milotic was bitingly sarcastic, but her eyes focused on the berries laid out before Kairi. "Are you ready?" Once she saw her servant nod, she smiled as gently as she could, Milotic focused on one berry before Kairi. Hovering it up, she spoke to Kairi rather calmly.

"You will walk a full circle around my pool with this berry balancing on your head." She hovered the berry around Kairi's head, swirling it around before returning it to in front of her servant. "To become as graceful as I, you must learn how to balance properly. Hold your arms out to your side." Once she saw Kairi do as such, she continued. "Walk with one foot directly in front of the other. Toes touch the back of the heel." Milotic observed as Kairi did as instructed, watching her servant place one foot in front of the other.

"Like this, right?" Kairi inquired, looking back up at the Graceful One, easing up as she did the motion again.

"Just like that." Milotic carefully floated the berry above Kairi, placing it gently on her servant's head. "Keep your hands straight out, and never let your palms become uneven with the ground. Balancing a berry requires delicacy. A slight tremble will make it fall.

"Try to relax. Try not to move with sudden movements. With enough training, you will be able to move like this swiftly and adeptly. If you make it once in a circle around my pool, that will conclude training for the day."

Observing Kairi carefully, she saw her servant take one step before the berry tumbled over, landing on the ground with a thud. Milotic hovered it back up, instructed Kairi to start back one step, before placing it on her head once more. "Do not be deterred if this happens several times at first." She saw Kairi mutter something like "Alright," under her breath, sensing the human girl beginning to feel pressure from this.

Several more steps. The berry was still on top of Kairi. Milotic surveyed the human girl, constantly thinking to herself. If Kairi had been a trainer, then she sure was different from all the others that she had met. The fact that she simply asked the Aipom to help her, and that he obeyed her without hesitation, had struck her as curious. While she had been pleased that her hypnosis was so skillful in locking away Kairi's memories, she couldn't help but realize that she had this human for more than a day.

Shifting in her pool, Milotic thought about having Kairi as a servant. Kairi lashed out first, stating bluntly that she _was_ going to capture more Pokemon. Yet could that have been a ploy? When Kairi first came into the cave, she felt sad, with something weighing on her.

No, all trainers were out to get the Pokemon who live here, hiding in asylum from their malicious deeds. Milotic felt justified in taking Kairi hostage. Perhaps it was because of that that Kairi's mood improved. Even now, as she walked with the berry on her head, trying to balance it, Milotic shut her eyes. She wanted to think more to herself, to logically justify taking Kairi in this manner.

However, her thoughts were broken once Kairi let off a sigh, along with the sound of a thud. Blinking, Milotic noticed how her servant crouched down and picked the berry up again. Milotic sensed agitation, something that she was certain that had been scrubbed out of Kairi earlier. "Kairi, what is wrong-"

"How am I supposed to do this?!" Kairi jerked her head to glare at her mistress, eyes welling up with tears. She held the berry out towards the Milotic, getting more and more frustrated. "I can't even make, what, three feet without it falling? This is stupid!"

_Stupid_. Almost immediately, Milotic made the area grow cold in her anger. Perhaps Kairi _wasn't_ so different from those humans after all! Maybe she was mistaken! "If you think this is so stupid, then give me that berry," she said curtly. She wasn't going to have disobedience in this cavern. What happened to the calm, tranquil Kairi from just a short moment ago?

Leering at her mistress, Kairi walked over to her, fuming over this lesson. What was the point of this impossible task? It's like asking her to wrestle that Victreebell from earlier. An impossibility that seemed insurmountable. Holding the berry out to her mistress, Kairi stared at her with a deadpan expression. "Sorry." She said this in a curt voice back.

That was it. Milotic slapped the berry out of Kairi's hand, and immediately wrapped a coil around her servant's wrist. She squeezed it tightly without any remorse. Seeing how Kairi fell to her knees, a gasp escaping her as she began to tremble in pain, Milotic spoke in a harsh, but contained, voice. "How _dare_ you speak to me in that manner. After all I have done for you, after all of these years. Not _once_ have you lashed out at me like that. I give you food, shelter, and I'm doing my best to make you beautiful and graceful! Do you _not_ want to become better?"

"I-I do!" Kairi cried out, hot tears started to swell. Shutting her eyes, she felt the pressure on her wrist grow more insufferable. "I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Seeing her apologize was enough for the Graceful One. Letting go of Kairi's wrist, she saw how there was a distinct mark on her skin. Immensely displeased with her servant, she tried to keep her anger from boiling over again. "Pick up that berry and feed it to me."

Watching Kairi scramble, the Graceful One couldn't help but think of the last trainer she had met before her servant. They had made quite the mess, she had to admit. Once Kairi picked the berry back up and ran towards her, making a hurried, "H-Here is your berry, mistress!", she ate it soundly while thinking of what to add to this lesson. She had to make Kairi remember not to trifle with her _and_ double as an exercise in patience. Once she chewed the berry thoroughly before swallowing it down, her eyes focused on the two remaining berries.

"You will balance _two_ berries on the backs of your hands. If either berry falls, you shall starve and sleep on the cold, damp floor." The berries hovered closer to Kairi. "_However_, balance both of these berries and you may sleep on my scales as well." She saw her servant's eyes light up with that prospect. "I see you are motivated. That's good. Do realize that this is a punishment for your behavior, though. For future purposes, _never_ do that again."

"Y-Yes, mistress." Kairi held out her hands to her sides once more, a newfound sense of fear coursing through her. She saw the berries hover, before feeling the weight of them press down on either hand. "I-I won't fail you, or talk back, or-"

"You may proceed."

Taking in a deep breath, Kairi began. She felt her body calm down, her eyes carefully looking forward. Foot went in front. Hands to her sides. Deep breaths. After a minute, Kairi seemed to lose herself into the task. Each step felt unified in its effort for balance. The berries' weight seemed to disappear. Her vision narrowed, and everything started to fade away. Only focusing on this task. Only focusing on herself.

Minutes passed and Milotic could feel herself growing increasingly more bored as she watched Kairi. Despite her servant lashing out before, perhaps injuring her wrist had been far too great of a punishment. But what else was there without destroying her mentally? The last time she had tried to punish a trainer for their arrogance, it ended up completely crippling them into madness. No, physical punishment had to suffice. Even she couldn't justify what she had done before.

As Kairi moved along, Milotic quickly took notice of how Kairi had been doing far better than before. Her breath was calmed. She moved carefully. She struck a perfect balance. What was the change? It couldn't have been simply fear. Rising out of her pool, Milotic's interest grew tenfold. If Kairi could focus this hard, blotting out the pain of her wrist with sheer determination, what was stopping her from becoming beautiful and graceful?

Watching Kairi with intrigue, the question came up again in her mind. Was it _necessary_ for Kairi to be her servant? Humans did the same to Pokemon, after all. Capturing them, training them, forging them into an extension of themselves. She was simply doing as they did, right?

No, she was thinking too hard on it. This was natural for her to have Kairi as her servant.

She returned to patiently watching Kairi as she made her way around the pool. Perhaps she should impose a time limit next time, considering Kairi took long enough to bore her. But then again, getting her thoughts straight was always pleasant. The Graceful One couldn't help but also ponder upon what else she had to teach her servant. For certain, she needed to teach Kairi how to be self-sufficient so she wouldn't need babying when she went outside.

Once Kairi began to move back to the starting point, Milotic quickly took note, realizing that she had accomplished her task, on top of continuing to push through. This proved to her that Kairi, despite making her deeply upset, was still willing to learn and push herself hard from her hypnotic suggestions earlier. Shifting in her pool, Milotic wondered if she should say something. Congratulate Kairi on her success, or-

"Kairi!"

Kairi jumped back with a jolt, taken by surprise at her mistress's interruption. She had pulled back her hands so quickly that the berries fell with a light thud. Staring at her mistress, Kairi wondered if she was going to speak more, however the realization of what happened was so great that, as she looked over the berries, she pushed her hands through her hair. Distraught at the sight of the fallen berries, Kairi took in a deep breath, shut her eyes, and tried her best to keep her composure. There had been one word in her mind from this: disappointment.

Sighing, she knew what must be done. Kairi scooped the berries back up into her hands and offered them to her mistress. She stood there silently, glancing away from the Milotic as she felt the berries being scooped up from her hand. After the berries were plopped into her mistress's mouth, Kairi placed her hands behind her back, blushing out of embarrassment that she had failed. What could she do to improve herself the next time?

Without a moment to spare, Kairi felt her mistress lick her along the forehead. Confused, she gazed at her mistress, arching her eyebrows as her eyes flicked between the pool of water, the Milotic, then back away.

"Tell you what, since you did such a fine job, we are going to get fresh food after I groom you."

That statement came out of nowhere. It did catch Kairi's attention, as she felt her heart spring back into place. Trepidations ran through her, and her gaze was now set upon her mistress. Kairi noticed the way that her emotions were struck from a spot that she hadn't been used to, how she stood there, glued to the floor, unsure of what to say. Her throat dried up, and the only thing she could really say had been "D-Didn't I fail?"

Not a moment too soon, and Kairi found herself being lifted into the air, feeling her mistress's coils fold over her waist and hips. She wondered why her mistress suddenly had a change of heart when it came to her task. Placing her hands upon the damp scales, Kairi's eyes were steadily drawn towards the Milotic. "Right? I failed, right?"

"You're so eager for failure, did you not notice where you stood?" Milotic noticed how Kairi was still perplexed by this simple notion that she succeeded. Moving her head in the direction of where she stood, Milotic was eager to spell it out for her servant. "I was observing you closely, and you went around the pool in a complete circle. If I hadn't stopped you, you probably would have gone further." She gave a lick on Kairi's chest and face.

"R… Really?" A smile cracked to the surface from Kairi's confusion. She had a sense of relief wash over her, coupled with a sigh. Her hands were quick to rub her mistress's scales as much as she could, shutting her eyes as she became overjoyed. "I'm so glad! T-That I-" Kairi sniffled, hot tears ready to burst out from sheer joy.

Not wanting her servant to show a disgraceful outing of crying, the Graceful One was quick to wrap her neck around Kairi's shoulders, doing her best to show something akin to a hug. Pride swelled up in her at Kairi's victory, and she wondered if this is what human trainers felt with their Pokemon. Sensing her servant's enthusiasm and joy at the notion of succeeding, Milotic broke the embrace and set Kairi back down onto the cavern floor. Gazing upon her servant, seeing the effects of the berry bath, on top of a more upright posture from the positive attitude, made her feel proud of having Kairi as her own.

Despite this, she felt it was necessary to inform Kairi. Draping a coil around Kairi's shoulder, Milotic lowered her head to be level with her servant. "I am proud of you for accomplishing the task, but I will be imposing a time limit from now on. Do not disappoint me in the future."

"O-Of course!" Kairi had to keep her enthusiasm down, to keep herself from sounding that she was too pleased. She hadn't been sure why, but she felt this as a reflex. Standing upright, puffing out her chest, Kairi placed her hands upon her hips. "So, what's next?"

"Well, we are going to get your food, of course." Milotic swirled around Kairi, beginning to move towards the entrance to the cave. "You will learn how to hunt. Meet me outside when you are ready."

As the Graceful One disappeared up into the main entrance, Kairi wondered what she meant by hunting. If she _gathered_ berries, then surely hunting was something similar, right? Plucking herself back up, Kairi made her way through the tunnel, and towards the entrance.

Anything new to learn was a positive in her book.


	5. Chapter IV

The afternoon sun warmed Kairi as she exited the cave with her mistress. Shielding her eyes for a moment, the now familiar vibrant foliage rising up around her as she stood there with her mistress, who shimmered in the sunlight. "So, could you tell me more about hunting?" Kairi inquired, lowering her hand once she adjusted to the bright light.

"We can talk as we move. Follow me," her mistress stated calmly, steadily moving along the stream. The question still burned in her mind about earlier, on whether or not Kairi actually _did_ convince that Aipom to help her out. This task doubled as both a lesson and a test in her mind; at the very least, she could see if her servant was lying after all.

They took a different direction from this morning, advancing more upstream than before. Milotic composed her words carefully, thinking of how to explain it to her servant so it didn't go over her head. "Hunting is when a Pokemon captures another in order to sustain themselves. They trap, capture, and sometimes eat live prey.

"Kairi, do you remember this morning with the Victreebell?"

Blinking, astonished that her mistress would bring that up, the connection became apparent to Kairi. "Yes, I do. Are you saying that the Victreebell was hunting?" She held her hands behind her back, walking with her mistress, her eyes always curiously following the Milotic with a bright curiosity. "So what would have happened if you didn't save me?"

Meeting Kairi's gaze, silence fell upon them before the Graceful One retorted "They would have left nothing behind, and they would continue on living." She noticed Kairi freezing up at the mention of such a drastic outcome, legs trembling and a sense of fear rising through her. Using a fin to brush it against her servant's back, Milotic smiled in an attempt to calm her. "Do not fear though. As long as you are my servant, I will never allow that outcome to occur."

A strange part of her felt sincere in those words.

"You are a bright and smart servant, Kairi. But do remember to always be cautious when you are out on your own."

"U-Understood."

Meekly shivering, Kairi lowered her head, stretching her legs out one at a time in front of her to compose herself. "Anyways, shall we keep going, mistress?" Gazing up at the Milotic, she moved several paces forward, turning to look at her mistress with a grin.

"Of course." Skirting her tail around Kairi, steadily floating in front of her, Milotic led the way through the thick jungle brush. Making sure that her servant was close by at all times, she had many thoughts swirling through her during their walk.

The look that Kairi had given her at the mention of nothing being left behind had not been out of the ordinary. She had seen the same look many times on Pokemon that she had hunted before, the gaze of terror as they stared at death itself. It appeared different with Kairi, however. Perhaps it was because she was a human, but something about the way that Kairi froze up intrigued her. Maybe it was just that Kairi is far more expressive than a Pokemon.

Also of interest was how Kairi had been silent as they walked. It was a stark contrast compared to the bright and curious girl that followed her. Keeping her gaze forward, she spoke to her servant in a collected voice.

"Kairi, are you alright?"

Perking up, having been lost in her own thoughts, Kairi heard the question. She wondered what she should say; the implication of making another creature disappear haunted her mind. Softening up, perhaps there was a way to get out of this. Glancing over at the ferns that they brushed past, keeping close to her mistress, Kairi spoke quietly. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine."

Halting their movement, Milotic glided around Kairi, circling her as her fins pressed up against the girl's side. Stopping in her tracks, Kairi's eyes glanced up at her mistress, quickly flicking away once they locked with Milotic's. "U-Um, mistress?" Kairi attempted to keep herself calm. The tail wound along her waist as Milotic moved in closer.

"I can sense that you are unsteady. Does hunting frighten you?"

Shivering, Kairi shook her head. "No. It's just…" Shifting her feet, Kairi crossed her arms. "Do I have to end the life of another for me to survive? Isn't there a way that we can both live?"

Eyes glazing over at the question, Milotic scratched Kairi's back lightly with her fins. The hesitance that Kairi displayed was a problem. She had noticed it since explaining to Kairi what would happen. "Kairi, you must understand that the strong devour the weak. It is the natural order of things; always has been. This is a truth that you have to accept." She tilted her head to the side, letting her fins drape along the ground as she did so. "You _do_ want to get stronger, don't you?"

"I-I do!" Immediately stepping forward, pulled back slightly from her coils wrapped around her, Kairi placed her hands on the damp scales, pushing on it as she shifted them down. Once she stepped out of them, her eyes drew her attention back to her mistress. "I know I probably sound confused-"

"Maybe you will feel better once you go through with it. I know when I first had to hunt, I was hesitant, but I knew that I needed to eat to survive." Receding her coils, Milotic narrowed her eyes towards her servant, brushing a fin along Kairi's cheek. "Either way, shall we continue on?" Motioning with her head forward, she lowered her voice to Kairi, hinting to keep quiet. "Follow me."

As they approached a good spot to hide, tall shrubs and ferns that Kairi could comfortably stand behind, Milotic lowered herself to the ground, scraping it with her tail. The sound of something, more specifically a _group_, caught Kairi's attention as they stood there. Encircling the both of them, coiling up onto herself, Milotic directed Kairi's attention towards the direction of where the sound came from.

"Look over the brush and tell me what you see. Quietly, please."

Standing on the tips of her toes, Kairi raised herself up to peer over the brush, hearing the sounds more clearly as she inspected towards the small clearing.

The first thing she noticed was that the six or so Pokemon that had gathered there were all the same. Brown-furred, small, with one ear extended and the other scrunched up. All of them were hopping around, doing a mix of pushing one another, leaping over them, laughing, and eating some berries that had fallen off of the nearby tree.

"I see… six Pokemon. Small ones. Playing?"

Once Kairi had stepped back, placing her heels firmly back down, she turned towards her mistress, scratching her head. Perplexed by what she saw, she spoke in a low voice. "Mistress, so what do I do?"

Standing at attention, Kairi saw how her mistress shut her eyes, pondering on what to say. After a moment, Milotic spoke to her.

"The Pokemon that you see over there are Buneary. They are a weak Pokemon, and easy to hunt." Kairi flinched at that last word. "You have to capture one, and we will not go hungry for tonight. You must lure it away from the group. If you walk up to them, they will scatter and run for help, which is always far more trouble than it is worth."

"Okay… Then what?"

Noticing how her mistress raised her fins, she pressed them against her bare stomach. "If you want to lure them away, use bait. Or you can try to use your new found beauty to lure them away. Everything has to eat one way or another.

"I cannot teach you everything. For this one, you must figure out how to do it yourself." Milotic began to recede back, before swirling her body around Kairi as she moved in the direction they came. "I'll be awaiting your arrival." Once she had disappeared, Kairi was left alone.

Standing on the tips of her toes again, Kairi peeked out again to watch the Buneary at play. They didn't seem to notice any sounds coming from her direction. Kairi debated on what she should do to draw one out. The mere thought of hunting hurt her; surely there had been a different way. Yet the thought of what her mistress might do if she failed… Rubbing her wrist, the pain she felt was a stark reminder.

Part of her wanted to just walk away, perhaps find a berry-

Eyes widening, Kairi quickly scanned the area around her. _Were there any berries around here?_ Briskly walking along the edge, trying to keep herself still outside of the clearing, Kairi swiveled her head back and forth, eyes flicking around to see any of those brightly colored treats from earlier. In her focus, she lost track of the Buneary group that were out in the clearing.

The cluster played between themselves, tumbling, pushing, and sometimes making little squeaks as they laughed. One of the Buneary, who had rolled out of the group and landed flat on their face, shook their head, sat up, and rubbed their eyes. Stunned by the shove, it sat there momentarily, brushing off any dirt that had clung to their fur. As it did so, a sound beyond the bushes caught their attention, and it froze up. Eyes immediately wide with anxiety, it kept its gaze in the direction of the sound. When it caught sight of what was causing the sound, a peculiar thought crossed its mind.

Standing up, brushing itself off, their head swiveled back to the group, who didn't pay them any attention. Having been too consumed with their play, it barely noticed the disappearance of their friend, who had directed their attention back to the foliage.

Seeing the nude, red-haired human, it was a peculiar sensation. At first, it wondered what they were, with their back turned, scratching their head as they kept looking up at the trees. Bouncing up and down, calming itself, they quickly moved through the ferns to get a closer look.

Frowning, Kairi tilted her head. "I don't see any-"

A paw brushed up against her leg, and Kairi instinctively drew back, turning and tumbling as she collapsed to the ground. "A-Ah!" Falling down with a thud, Kairi winced, blinked, and got a good look at the Buneary that had approached her. They surprised her, and as they picked up Kairi's foot, gazing at it curiously, she wondered what it is they wanted. She let her body ease up once the danger had passed.

Taking her foot back, flinching from how ticklish that felt, Kairi hugged her knee as a genial smile crossed her. She saw how the Buneary placed a paw to their chin, tilting their head a bit. "H-Hey there," Kairi muttered, slowly shifting her other leg back to hug it to her chest. Her eyes flicked back to see the group continuing to play. "Could you go away?"

Not understanding Kairi, even as she moved her hand to motion them to leave, Buneary grinned and ran up to her. "Bune!" they exclaimed, half-running, half-hopping towards Kairi's side to poke her more.

"N-No, I mean-" Kairi flinched as the Buneary poked her side, and she nearly fell over again as she briskly stood up. Not a moment later and she was bombarded with them poking her foot. "A-Ah!" Receding her foot, Kairi fell again, this time hearing a very cheerful squeak, almost like a laugh, coming from the small Pokemon.

Shutting her eyes, Kairi took in a deep breath, calming herself. If this was how hunting was for a smaller Pokemon, how on earth would she even get the bigger ones? What was she thinking, anyway? Crossing her legs, she opened her eyes and looked at the Buneary, who approached her with a gleam in their eye.

"So… What do you want?" Kairi perked up, comforted with the thought that this Buneary had no intention to harm her. She knew that it probably couldn't understand her, so as she said this, her hands went up to touch her chest. "I won't hurt you."

Staring at the human, Buneary's ear twitched as they kept their gaze towards Kairi's hand. Briefly making a squeak, realizing what it is they wanted, their eyes lit up with a brightness as they immediately lunged at Kairi. Their speed carried them over Kairi's thighs, and immediately went into a hug around Kairi's stomach, or as much as their small arms could wrap around them.

Taken aback by this, Kairi found herself falling over again, gasping as the Buneary nuzzled their head against her. Wondering whether or not she should shove the Buneary off of her, Kairi caught her breath, sighed, and placed her hands on the Pokemon's head. "Man, you can hit hard-" She pet the Buneary lightly, wondering what she should do. The afternoon sun felt warm, with cascades of emerald beaming down on the both of them as they laid there. Kairi felt the Buneary quiver and cling tighter as she petted it, making herself feel more at ease as well.

Staring at the canopy, Kairi blinked as she noticed several colors swaying not too far up. She recognized them, and they were within a reasonable distance. Just one branch up and they could be easily grabbed.

Sitting upright, Kairi gently nudged the Buneary onto her lap as it stared up at her curiously. "Hey, you hungry?" When it made no motion to indicate whether they understood the question, Kairi pulled them up and set them down a foot in front of her. "Hungry." Rubbing her own stomach, Kairi tried to show them what the word meant. Ironically, her stomach growled at that moment.

"See? I'm hungry!" Kairi exclaimed, making a soft sort of laugh as her face flushed with embarrassment. At this notion, Buneary's eyes lit up as they understood what it was Kairi had been conveying. Clapping their paws together, Buneary made a quick, "Buneary!" as she rubbed her stomach, mimicking Kairi.

Briskly standing up, Kairi brushed herself off as best as she could. "Alright. Wait here a minute, okay?" Kairi raised her hand, keeping it flat as she lowered it, trying to motion to the Buneary that they should remain here. They seemed to understand, giving her a slow nod. Once she was certain that they wouldn't run away, Kairi leaped up, hoisted herself onto the branch, and plucked the berries as fast as she could. Before she knew it, leaping down with a thud, Kairi seated herself in front of the Buneary, making herself comfortable.

"Here you go," she mused, placing an Oran berry on the ground beside Buneary. Licking her lips, feeling enticed by the sight of the firm, juicy berry in her own hand, Kairi bit into it. She noticed the Buneary step forward, seemingly hesitant at first, as they quickly took the berry, beginning to nibble at it.

Once Kairi finished her berry, she observed the Buneary eating away, occasionally wiping away the juices as it stained the sides of their mouth. "You're pretty hungry, huh?" She beamed as they nodded, smiling and making a squeak in response. For a moment, Kairi wondered what even it was that she was _doing_ here. She had been so lost in thought, and finding herself a new friend, that it didn't strike her until _now._

A chill flashed through her. Kairi's eyes widened as her head swiveled towards the direction her mistress had gone towards. She was there, even if she had hidden herself well, watching the two of them the entire time. Her hand, which pressed against the soft jungle floor, steadily clenched into a fist, dirt dug up into her hand. Kairi was lost in anxiety until she felt a paw press up against her leg.

When her attention was caught again, she noticed how the Buneary appeared her mistake, Kairi waveringly drew out her hand to pet the Buneary's head. "H-Heh, I'm s-sorry," she muttered out to it, her mouth already trembling, unable to get out a word without almost sputtering.

During all of this, Milotic peeked her head out of the foliage to take a look at Kairi, sensing her distress. She kept her distance, but could clearly see the human girl petting the Buneary, telling it that everything will be alright. Wasn't this the same girl who had been arrogant in stating that her full intention _was_ capturing Pokemon? The same one who had given her sass not too long ago when she got frustrated with her task?

If so, then why was she protecting this Buneary? Didn't trainers normally use Pokemon for sport? She recalled numerous times of instances, where she would break up their fights and make sure that they never returned. Was Kairi different all along, or had sealing her memories locked away her instincts?

As she pondered upon these questions, growing steadily more curious, Milotic felt her hunger rising. How long had it been since she had a hunt of her own? She couldn't remember the last time she had live prey. Kairi being so complacent with this Buneary wasn't helping either.

Sighing, Milotic focused her telepathy on Kairi. "There is no need to feel bad. You are stronger than it, and the strong must survive on the weak. You must understand this, if you hope to continue being my _servant._"

Kairi wavered again, her hand pausing on the Buneary's head as they finished up the last of the berry. _Servant_. That truth was inevitable, yet did it have to mean this? Extending both her arms out, Kairi picked up the Buneary, which caught them off guard. Yet it didn't fight; instead the Buneary clung to Kairi, wrapping their paws around her chest.

Catching her breath, Kairi lowered her head, shut her eyes, and placed a hand on their head to comfort it. "Shhh… It's okay." Quickly she moved towards her mistress, determined to say something to Milotic. Brushing past ferns, it didn't take a minute until she had been face to face with her mistress. Her heart pounded in her chest, trembling as she saw her mistress looming over her.

Milotic dominated over Kairi, her eyes leering at the two of them. Creating a calming aura hover in the area, she sensed her servant's anxiety. She circled around them, pulling them in closer. "Well done, Kairi. You have-"

"Please don't do this."

Milotic paused, taken aback at Kairi's plea. Buneary didn't look up yet, but also calmed down from her presence. She saw how Kairi stared at her with watery eyes, her eyebrows furrowed with a hint of anger in the middle of that anxiety.

"Kairi, look at me in the eye and tell me that again." Her fin was quick to nudge Buneary to catch their attention. Once Milotic had the both of them staring at her, she began her hypnosis. It didn't take the Buneary a moment once her eyes met with that strange, curious glow before it fell asleep in Kairi's arms. The girl loosened up as she stared blankly into Milotic's gaze.

Once she was certain that the both of them were under her trance, Milotic drew her fins back and lightly slapped her servant across the cheek. She saw Kairi blink, regaining her senses, and she was quick to explain to her about what _she_ felt.

"I brought you here to _hunt_. You know what that entails. We spoke about this on our way here. Two creatures encounter each other. One dies, the other lives. You did a very good job on capturing one for me, yet you waver." She wrapped her tail around Kairi's waist and hips, trying to provide some comfort to her servant. "Are you not happy with your appearance? Or that the Buneary approached you because of your beauty?"

"I-I mean… I…" Kairi hesitated, gulping as she gripped her hands tighter around the Buneary. Tears began to flood Kairi's eyes, something that didn't go unnoticed.

"If you choose to keep protecting it and opposing my wishes, it will inevitably make you weaker." Tilting her head, Milotic gazed at Kairi, her eyes steadily narrowing towards her servant. "Do you understand?"

"Y-Yes, but-" Kairi shut her eyes, tears rolling down her face. "Can't we eat something else? L-Like berries or maybe show me something else that I can eat?"

Frowning immensely, Milotic knew that humans needed a varied diet, so for Kairi to insinuate that she didn't even _need_ hunting irritated her. Squeezing Kairi tighter, her voice was softer, but carried a harshness underneath it. "If you had the choice of letting yourself or this Buneary live, which do you think would be the wisest choice for herself?"

"I-I don't know, I-I…"

"You have two simple choices laid out before you. If you are going to be so hesitant, how do you think you'll survive out here?" Hoisting Kairi up into the air, she continued on her tirade, moving closer into Kairi, her agitation reaching a peak. "If you prove that you have strength and give up that Buneary, I will allow you the pleasure of sleeping on my scales for another night. _However_, if you keep refusing to give it up, I will gladly take you in place of your friend. The world is better off with fewer humans, so your death would mean _nothing_ to me."

Once Kairi had been set back down, eyes wide with terror, she was quick to hand over the Buneary. Offering it with outstretched hands, the trepidation became more apparent, almost unable to keep herself still. Her eyes flicked downward as she saw her mistress's fins take the Buneary from her hands.

"You made a wise choice."

_A wise choice_.

Kairi scoffed, a blunt reaction to those words. Standing before Milotic, staring at her with disdain, something odd swelled up in her. Was that a joke when her mistress said that? It was hard to tell, but it shook Kairi to her core. It left her chilled, her body shivering more with each passing moment. Gulping, she felt like she had to do something. Say anything. Yet when she tried, nothing came to mind. Defeated, Kairi crossed her arms, rubbing them in an effort to keep her mind off of the Buneary.

"If it pains you to watch, feel free to close your eyes."

That was all that Kairi needed. Lowering her head, she didn't make a sound, yet her mind was too occupied with uncomfortable thoughts and questions. Turning her back to her mistress, Kairi promptly sat down, clenching her eyes shut. Her hands shifted, fingers twitching as a strange, familiar sensation welled up in her. _'Did this happen… before?'_ she wondered, shivering and hunching over. If it did happen before, then why?

It hadn't even been a minute later when something was placed onto her lap. It was soft. Eyes fluttering, she saw the Buneary lying quietly on her, still asleep. One of their ears twitched as it shuffled itself into a more comfortable posture. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mistress's fins recede back. Following them, Kairi tilted her head back as she saw how Milotic towered over them. "M-Mistress?"

"You will have to work harder to repay me for this _favor_. _Not_ something out of pity."

Milotic's attention had been fully directed towards Kairi, but there had also been a sense of frustration in her voice. Reviewing her servant carefully, noting her confusion, her fins prodded Kairi's back. Once the girl stood up, Milotic spoke in a calmer voice.

"You get attached too easily. Be more careful in the future, otherwise it could cost you your life."

Hoisting up the Buneary, Kairi turned her attention to the small bundle in her arms. "T-Thank you. I'll... " She perked up, glancing at Milotic with a flash in her eyes. "Wait, so what are we going to eat?"

"Eggs."

"Eggs?"

"Watch closely." Milotic's tone was significantly cooled, withdrawing from Kairi as her fins brushed against the ground. Sketching an oval on the ground after clearing some of the scattered leaves, she continued with her lesson. "Considering you asked: eggs are what Pokemon create when they desire children. They are not actual Pokemon, so you need not get attached to them."

"But-"

"Hush." Quickly giving her a glance, Milotic returned her focus to the ground. "This is what they look like." Circling the ground with her fin, she placed them to the side as her eyes stared at Kairi. "You can find them in nests all around the island. You should have no trouble at all in finding eggs. They come in various sizes, but they all look similar enough."

Fixated on the image, Kairi memorized the curves and the oblong shape. "Right…" Stepping to the side, another stray thought crossed her mind. "So, now what?"

"By the way." Milotic lowered her head towards Kairi, placing a fin against her side. "You would do best to bring your _friend_ back to their little group. Lest I change my mind. Meet me back at the cave when you are done with your task."

Already skirting to the side, Kairi sheepishly grinned towards her mistress. "O-Of course. Thank you." As soon as she said that, Milotic had curled herself up, nodded in acknowledgement, and left the two of them alone in the clearing. Without a word, she slipped away just as quickly as she had appeared. Standing there, hoisting Buneary into her arms, her attention diverted back to the small normal-type. "Well, I suppose it's time."

Not a minute later, Kairi made her way through the dense foliage, attempting to shake the Buneary awake. Whatever her mistress had done to it, it was difficult to get them to wake up. They simply shifted in her arms, snuggling up to her more as Kairi walked towards the clearing.

The group had dispersed among themselves, searching along the bushes for their missing friend. Their paws scratched at the ground, trying to follow the skids and tracks the Buneary had left behind. Calling among themselves, one of them, a Buneary who was inspecting the footprints that Kairi had left behind, raised their head the moment that she had approached.

"Buneary!"

It reeled back, running back into the clearing, waving their paws in the air as they alarmed the others. The rest of the group followed suit, gathering in the center as they put their backs against each other, pointing their scrunched ears outward.

Stopping in her tracks, Kairi hesitated as the group locked eyes with her. Skipping a beat, she held up the Buneary that she was carrying. "H-Hey, your friend is-"

Immediately, one of the group perked up, seeing their companion in Kairi's arms. "Bun?" Nose twitching, they quickly dispersed, approaching the new individual that came out of nowhere. Flocking towards Kairi, they circled around her, paws stretched up to get their friend back.

Swiftly skirting back, Kairi knelt down before the group, placing their resting friend onto the ground. "Sorry." As soon as she placed the Buneary down, the others circled around her and began to brush up against her. Flinching, Kairi rose up to her feet, trying not to attract too much attention. The group, at first apprehensive, were far more curious once they realized that she wasn't aggressive.

Striding back, Kairi bowed delicately. "A-Anyways, here's your friend. I'm… I'm sorry!"

Certain that they wouldn't understand, Kairi turned her heels, and ran off. She didn't stick around to see the group shaking their friend awake.

Minutes passed, and as soon as Kairi felt that the group of Buneary hadn't, or perhaps wouldn't follow her, her pace slowed down. Nearly tripping over herself, steadily catching her breath, she leaned against a tree, gazing down at the ground.

"Why was I so… scared just now?"

Placing a hand to her chest, Kairi steadied her breaths, thoughts beginning to drift. A warmth flowed through the tips of her fingers, calm flowing through her. Once she cooled herself, Kairi stepped to the side, closed her eyes, and stretched out her arms.

She realized what had frightened her. The Buneary hadn't been what was bothering her mind. The words of her mistress rang through her mind, looming over her like a shadow.

_The world is better off with fewer humans. Your death will mean nothing to me._

Was… Was that how she always spoke to her? Before she lost her memories? Yet this strange feeling seemed far too familiar. Coupled with those words, there had also been that strange look her mistress gave her. Was it regret? It flashed for a moment, and Kairi swore she saw it out of the corner of her eye as she left. But if that was the case, one more question sprung up in her mind, one that disturbed her deeply.

_Did the Graceful One not care about her feelings?_

"Whatever…"

Groaning, Kairi opened her eyes, peering up at the sky. From what she knew, several hours were left before it would get dark. Glimpsing at her surroundings, she recalled what her task was. The sooner she found the eggs, the sooner she could get back to the cave. And the sooner she did that, the sooner she could ask that question.

Clapping her hands together, Kairi proclaimed to herself, "Time to get to work!"

The next hour passed by rather quickly. She made sure to mark her way with fern leaves that she plucked so she wouldn't be lost, while she observed her surroundings for anything that resembled an egg. All of this while making sure she hadn't been followed by any other Pokemon that wanted to hunt her. While traversing underneath a tree, looking up to check the sky, she paused. Her eyes lit up as soon as she noticed something high up in the branches.

"Eggs?"

Eyes lighting up, her focus immediately intensified. Stepping back and forth, getting a better view of the bedding of branches and ferns nestled in a fork of the branch. As Kairi noticed several ovals, her heart skipped a beat. A grin flashed across her, and she didn't waste a moment in finding a way up.

Climbing, scurrying, falling, then climbing again, Kairi gradually ascended. Gripping branches, digging her fingers in, legs swinging up to boost herself; the motions were enough to get her to where she needed to be. Catching her breath every so often, her muscles were still sore from earlier, but didn't hinder her. Eventually, as she pulled herself up onto the branch, her eyes met with the nest.

"F-Finally." She sighed in relief, letting her legs dangle along the side, leaning back against the tree. Admiring the sight of being up so high on her own, Kairi wondered if her mistress would be proud, or whether it would be a tirade like earlier. Giving herself a moment, the warmth of the sun covering her shoulders, she took in a deep breath and swung her legs up. "Well, I guess-"

"_Swellow!_"

"W-Wha?"

Not a moment later, a bird flew directly at her, their beak illuminated with a bright light as they struck. Yelping, Kairi tipped back, falling off and landing on the branch below. Wind knocked out of her, terror washed through her, arms instantly covering her head for protection.

"A-Ah! Leave me alone!" she shouted, curling her legs up to her chest, attempting to take up as little space as possible. "I-I didn't mean to! Please don't kill me!"

_How pathetic she felt_.

As the Swellow continued to flutter around her, pecking, slapping her with its wings, Kairi sobbed. "L-Leave me alone!" She swung her arms wildly to keep the flying-type at bay.

_Boom_. A crack sounded through the branches. The Swellow continued to flap, before diving out. The instant that Kairi opened her eyes, she saw a large, blue sphere of flame narrowly miss her. Flattening herself against the tree, her head swiveled to follow it.

Shocked by this surprise intervention, the Swellow dove from the branch before sweeping upward. Bursting through the canopy, a few more cries sounding, Swellow disappeared as quickly as they could.

A peaceful stillness came across Kairi as she hunched over, uncurling her legs as she wildly looked around to see where that attack had come from. Up above? No, it came from the side. Turning to face where she thought it had came from, she noticed something peculiar in one of the nearby trees.

The same blue flame surrounded this figure. It was bipedal, crouched down, barely visible through the lush petals of the tree. Red-orange eyes flashed, locking with Kairi for an instant before the branch bent as they moved. Almost as fast as she had caught them, they landed on the ground with astonishing agility, before they took off.

"Was that a human?"

As quickly as she could, Kairi gathered the eggs from the nest, descended from the tree, and followed the trail that she had left for herself. The sun steadily lowered in the sky, afternoon turning to evening, as she made her way back. At first, she had stumbled, trying to think of how to find her way back to the cavern without her mistress's help. When she had looked down at where her trail of ferns began, she saw her own footprints, and followed them. A steady pace, always looking over her shoulder for any predators.

As Kairi entered the cave, she gazed over to her discarded clothes again. She knew that she should go to the main chamber as soon as possible, yet something drew her towards that enigmatic pile. Keeping her distance, as if something had been about to attack her from it, she peered at them. Whose clothes were those?

What exactly were those red and white balls? They still didn't look familiar to her, even after her mistress stated that they were not hers.

Striding back, Kairi frowned. Were those her clothes after all? If so, where did she get them?

Turning, Kairi did not hesitate to enter the main chamber, being careful to keep the eggs in her arms from dropping. Carefully gliding through the tunnel, she emerged, seeing her mistress curled around her pool. Steam rose from the water as her eyes locked with Kairi's.

"Welcome back, Kairi." Her tone was softer, friendlier. Milotic made a smile, motioning with her fins towards the pool of water. "Did you have any problems with getting the eggs?"

"A bit." Walking towards the pool, Kairi's eyes were adjusting to the darkness. She stepped up to her mistress, wondering if she should say anything about what she had seen. Or about that question she had burning in the back of her head. Or-

"Tell me about it."

Surprised at this sudden interest, Kairi had been caught off guard. Stammering, trying to catch herself from looking stunned, she lowered herself into a bow. "Y-Yes, mistress.

"I returned the Buneary to their friends. I searched for a while for any eggs, left a trail to find my way back-"

"Always so smart!"

_Weird_. Kairi tilted her head, even more perplexed than before when her mistress praised her so suddenly. "Mistress, are… are you okay?"

"Yes, I am fine. So tell me more about what happened?" Milotic directed her full attention towards Kairi, taking her fins and scratching her servant's back. "Oh, place the eggs into the pool while we talk."

Somewhat stunned by this display, Kairi nodded, gently placed the eggs into the pool, and stood back up to face her mistress. "Well, someone helped me."

"Oh? Was it that Aipom?" Her eyes flicked in Kairi's direction before turning her gaze back towards the eggs as they floated in the pool. Her tail fins dipped into it, turning the water slightly to make sure that the eggs didn't overcook.

Sucking in a sharp breath, the contrasting hot and cool air swirling around her, Kairi shook her head. "No, it was… something else." Unsure of how to word it properly, she instead crouched down a little, placing her hands behind her head, pushing her fingers together to resemble ears. "They had large ears that stood up, blue fur, and they did something to help swat the bird away."

"And… What was this _something_ they did to assist you?" Milotic's eyes were now locked with Kairi, an intense intrigue behind it. Her fins had stopped stirring the water as the eggs floated on the surface. They dipped under the surface before floating up again.

Struggling to remember, Kairi had to scratch her chin a bit, thinking back on the moment. Tipping her head down, she talked slowly and deliberately. "Well, it was like a blue… ball? Sphere? I don't know. It scared away the bird before it could try to knock me off." Looking back up at her mistress, she noticed how quickly her attention was drawn back to the eggs, dipping her tail in and fishing them out. "Mistress?"

"You should eat. These are a good source of food to help develop muscles. If you cannot hunt, at the very least you can fetch these." Laying the eggs before Kairi, she took her fin and tapped one egg lightly, cracking it. "You need to peel off the shell before you can eat it. Do this, and have your fill."

While she watched Kairi get to work, peeling away the shells of the eggs, she couldn't help but wonder. The way she described the Pokemon that had rescued her was uncannily similar to _him_. Last she had known, he was in a self-imposed exile. Meditating in who knows where, finding his spirit again after the last time they met. But could it be him, or a different one? Kairi had given her only a brief description, one that wasn't sufficient enough to determine whether or not he came back. Taking an egg from Kairi, she swallowed it down, pleased to at least have something to snack on while she thought.

They ate in silence, with Kairi feeling weary from the events of the day, and her mistress wondering what else to do. Eating carefully, Kairi found the taste interesting, and the eggs were surprisingly filling, only four of the batch left her satisfied. After she had her fill, gulping down the egg, her voice wavered as she spoke.

"I'm sorry about the hunt earlier. I… I don't know what came over me. I just couldn't do it." Bowing to the ground, the top of her head touching it, she sighed and continued. "I-I probably seem like a failure to you."

Slithering over to the pool, scooping up the last of the eggs and placing them into her mouth, Milotic listened to Kairi apologize. It hadn't been that Kairi couldn't hurt the Buneary, it was the fact that she defended it and tried to keep it from being eaten. Were trainers always sympathetic like that? To something that Kairi had just met, the bond they grew was quick and easy to form. Peculiar. Definitely something to keep an eye on for the future. Swelling her mouth full of cool water, she let it stream forth, her fins dipping into it to test the temperature. Once she had deemed it appropriate, her thoughts were interrupted by Kairi.

"M-Mistress? You aren't upset… are you?"

Diverting her attention back to her, Milotic felt a genuine smile come across her. "No. I was just thinking to myself about earlier. You shouldn't worry yourself over small things." Swirling the water in her pool, she made sure that the water wasn't too hot for Kairi. "If you are not a hunter, then you are not one. There is nothing I can do to change that. Truth be told, I was hoping you wouldn't freeze up again. Even before you lost your memories, you were like this. So don't think too much on it. 

"Come. Let the tension wash away. It's not befitting of one who aims to be beautiful."

Hesitating, Kairi noticed her mistress acting so complacent. "Are you sure you're alright? You've been a bit weird since I got back." Rising to her feet, she approached the pool, looking at her mistress inquisitively. "It's just that-"

"That what? I've always been rough on you?" Taking her fins, Milotic scratched Kairi along the side of her waist. "You've had a rough day. It's time to unwind. There's nothing unusual about that, right?" Studying her servant's expression, she tilted her head and had a little bit of a laugh. "Well, what are you waiting for? The water's temperature is perfect."

"I suppose." Although something still seemed off with the way her mistress appeared more pleasant, Kairi wasn't going to complain. Arching her leg over the side, she slipped into the pool, her body easing up at the hot water. It wasn't hot enough to hurt, but it wasn't warm enough to feel uncomfortable. Dipping her head underneath the water for a moment, once she bounced back up she took in a deep breath, steam filling her lungs.

Shifting into the pool with her, Milotic curled up around her servant, her coils and fins easily fitting in the water three times over. Admittedly, this was some much needed rest and relaxation after today. Even she needed some time to unwind every so often. Taking her fins, she slipped them behind Kairi, scrubbing her back to clean her of any possible dirt. "I hate to see my scales sullied by any dirt or grime, but seeing your skin tainted with it is just as bad."

Just taking in the sensation of the scrubbing, the hot water surrounding her, Kairi didn't have any complaints. Even as her mistress's fins motioned for her to pick up her legs, or to lift up her arms, this bath was just what she needed. Gulping in steam, the cool air of the cave steadily replaced by the swirling warmth, she shut her eyes and relaxed. It was a wonderful sensation, to say the least.

"Is there anything that you want to do tonight?" Raising her head, she placed it gently on the surface of the water, observing Kairi curiously as she did so. "With your mistress?"

"Well." Raising her arms over her head, Kairi yawned a bit before placing one hand on her shoulder. "Is there anything you can do to help me relax? My shoulders and back feel a bit stiff."

"A massage is what you mean." Adjusting her servant in the bath, her fins scooped up Kairi, moving her more towards the center of the pool. Coiling underneath her, she wrapped her tail around several sections, looping around Kairi's shoulders and lower back. Once she made sure that her servant wasn't going to accidentally go under, the strong muscles rippled around Kairi. "How is that? Too hard?"

Shifting inside the coils, Kairi was rather comfortable in this grasp. As the coils rippled and vibrated around her, coupled with the warm water surrounding her, the sensation was ecstatic. "I-It's good. I like this." Practically melting inside of her mistress's grasp, she blushed while feeling herself being pulled out of the water a bit to expose her stomach.

_I wonder_. Lowering her head to Kairi's stomach, Milotic was curious about the effects of the berry bath. Licking it briefly, feeling her servant squirm inside of her grip, she already noticed how different of a taste was already there with a single bath. Taking another, Kairi giggled in response, moving her legs as well. "Ticklish?"

"N-No!" Protesting, Kairi shut her eyes and eased up as Milotic receded back.

"So you _wouldn't_ mind if I did this?"

"That's not what I said-"

Kairi erupted into a laughing fit as her mistress licked her stomach again, squirming and trying to break free of the coils. Even after several minutes, the Milotic was too strong to break free from as her eyes watered from the laughter.

As the Graceful One and her servant enjoyed their time together, Kairi's laughter echoed through the cavern. It amplified as it traveled up the entrance, erupting into the nearby jungle. Some Pokemon scattered from the area, but one approached, their paws splashing against the stream with virtual silence. Ears flicking, the unmistakable sound of a human coming from the entrance, their curiosity peaked.

Standing there, taking in the sound, they scratched the back of their ear. "This is her cave, I'm sure of it. But why is there a human?" He mumbled to himself, already intrigued by this new development. Taking in a deep breath, he entered.

While Milotic and Kairi were enjoying their time, the laughter increasing in pitch, they were unaware of another presence. Even as she receded her head back, pleased with Kairi forgetting about the aches and pain, staring at the human as she settled down into the water, her mind was occupied.

Until a voice sounded out in her mind.

"So, I take it you like to entertain your guests, _Graceful One."_

Freezing up, hearing this voice enter her mind, Milotic quietly receded her coils from Kairi. She paused, and said quietly to her "Stay still. Someone else is here. Remain quiet." Once she was sure that her servant, perplexed by this development, would remain silent, she turned in her pool, making sure that Kairi was hidden behind her. Beaming towards the entrance, even in the moonlight, she saw that familiar frame. His eyes gleamed in the light, and she recognized him immediately.

"I heard the rumors, but I did not expect them to be true." She made a low bow of her head towards the Lucario. "Welcome back, _Fierce One_."


End file.
